Anti-treaty group fails to gag Ahern

An anti-Treaty of Nice referendum group today failed to win a High Court injunction preventing Taoiseach Bertie Ahern from repeating allegations about the source of its funding.

The courtroom move was initiated yesterday by the No to Nice campaign after allegations by Mr Ahern in a weekend speech that they had been funded to the tune of £100,000 by US right-wing fundamentalists.

No to Nice campaign patron Sean O'Domhnaill said his organisation’s reputation had been damaged by what Mr Ahern said and claimed the Taoiseach had been "lying and making scurrilous comments".

The group had sought an injunction preventing the Taoiseach from repeating the allegations until the outcome of a legal action for alleged libel at which the organisation would have sought damages.

But Mr Justice Roderick Murphy today found that it had not been proved that Mr Ahern’s comments were defamatory and that the group was not entitled to an injunction.

Mr O Domhnaill, who was also ordered to pay costs, said afterwards he would appeal against the ruling.

All Government and main opposition parties are backing a Yes vote in the plebiscite on the Treaty of Nice, which allows for the enlargement of the European Union.

In all, the country is voting in three referendums tomorrow - the other issues involve the removal of a reference to the death penalty from the written constitution and the future of the International Criminal Court.