Woman loses €50k damages action for defamation against Irish Rail

A 41-year-old unemployed mother, who referred to a train ticket inspector as a “fat bastard” when he inquired about her allegedly defaced free travel pass, has lost a €50,000 damages claim for defamation in the Circuit Civil Court.

Carmel Monaghan yesterday told Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke that she had been travelling from Tralee to Cork with her son Jack in January last year when Michael Marshall had checked her ticket.

Ms Monaghan said she showed Mr Marshall her ticket, along with her travel pass, which she said she held for medical reasons and which was in a plastic pouch with a Social Welfare photo identification card.