Father on hunger strike in bid to get justice for son

STANDING beside a small holdall at the gates of Leinster House, Andrew Moynihan holds a small banner aloft. Hunger Strike For Justice, reads its simple message.

Andrew father of Adrian Moynihan, 23, who died outside a Cork nightclub more than two years ago is willing to die in a desperate bid to secure justice for his son.

Day and night, Mr Moynihan is prepared to remain outside the Dáil without food until progress is made in the case of his son's death. Pasted to his back a poster reads: If Justice Is For All, Why Not For Adrian?"

"I had my dinner at six o'clock yesterday and I won't eat again," he said.

"I'll continue as far as it takes. I'll continue until I drop. I'm prepared to die if that's what it's going to take to get justice for my son. I want the Government to deliver justice for my family."

Andrew Moynihan, from Ballyvolane in Cork, died following a struggle with bouncers at the Sidetrax nightclub in March 2001.

Gardaí launched a murder inquiry, and an inquest returned a verdict of death by asphyxiation. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions twice decided there would be no prosecution.

The case was reopened last year after Assistant State Pathologist Marie Cassidy said the death had been caused by neck compression, fixing of the chest and pinning of the arms behind the back.

"There were three men arrested for this. It's a disgrace that there is no prosecution. We've tried everything all the ministers and TDs and they all say they'll look into it but nothing happens," Mr Moynihan said.

The Moynihan family is distraught that despite publicly released CCTV footage of Adrian being dragged into the nightclub, no one has yet been brought to justice.

"In the name of God, my son was dragged through a nightclub and he died. All this was seen on video, we have witnesses, the whole lot, and yet no prosecution. That can't be right. We're not having it as a family. As a result of it, this is what I'm left to do," Mr Moynihan said.

Last month, Attorney General Rory Brady was asked to intervene in the case and the legal campaign to establish the full facts surrounding the death, while the family is also taking a civil case against the nightclub.

In the Dáil last night, Fine Gael's Bernard Allen repeated the call for intervention and asked the minister for justice to press the AG to seek an explanation from the DPP as to why a prosecution was not taken.

"I want a public inquiry," added Mr Moynihan."