Gemma O’Doherty clashes with council over Guerin claims

By Gordon Deegan

Presidential hopeful and journalist Gemma O’Doherty yesterday clashed with members of Clare County Council over her claims that there was State collusion in the murder of Veronica Guerin.

At a specially convened meeting of Clare County Council in Ennis to hear from presidential hopefuls, Ms O’Doherty said that “a very dangerous tweet” last weekend by brother of the murdered journalist, Jimmy Guerin, had defamed her.

Asking Ms O’Doherty to account for her “State collusion” claims, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) read out Mr Guerin’s tweet in full, where he stated Ms O’Doherty’s “State collusion” comments concerning the murder of his sister were “offensive, disgusting and extremely hurtful”.

In response, Ms O’Doherty said: “Well that is a libellous tweet. I have gone to the High Court before. I hope you are protected by privilege.”

When told by cathaoirleach Michael Begley (Ind) that the councillor was not protected by privilege at the meeting, Ms O’Doherty said: “I have now been defamed and I have stated on the record that I can stand over all of my work.”

She said: “This tweet is defamatory and a very dangerous tweet against my good name.

“Anyone who is interested in finding out the truth about a murdered relative would surely welcome anybody who is shining a light on that, so I cannot understand the reaction of Mr Guerin, but I will not be bullied by anybody.”

“I do my work on behalf of the Irish people. My job as a journalist is to serve the public interest and if murder is being covered up in this State, I will report on it and nobody will silence me from doing that.”

Ms O’Doherty went on to repeat her claim in the council chamber about State collusion in the murder of Veronica Guerin in 1996.

“I have been informed by a member of An Garda Síochána, a decent honest man, who I have no reason to disbelieve — that there was State collusion between a public official and the people who wanted to silence Veronica Guerin.

“This has come to me from a member of An Garda Síochána. I didn’t put this information into the public domain as part of my manifesto.”

Fianna Fáil’s Cathal Crowe said he would defend Ms Howard’s right to ask the question as it was “fair game”. He said: “I don’t think throw-backs of defamation and lawyers help anyone’s cause.”

Ms O’Doherty said: “You do know that I have a constitutional right to my good name and the information that was pulled out in that tweet was defamatory?”

Ms O’Doherty was greeted with silence at the end of her allotted 20 minutes, in contrast to the applause given to Seán Gallagher, Kevin Sharkey, and Joan Freeman at the end of their addresses yesterday.

Mr Sharkey took umbrage with President Michael D Higgins over a party trick the incumbent allegedly performed for Mr Sharkey concerning the actor Peter O’Toole when they met at a dinner on an unspecified date.

Mr Sharkey said that “Michael D asked me after dinner would I like to meet Peter O’Toole?

“I said ‘yes’ but when he went off, I thought to myself that Peter O’Toole was dead, and then he returned 10 minutes later with Peter O’Toole’s ashes in an urn.”

He said: “Personally, I don’t find that very funny and I don’t find it very dignified to carry the ashes of a very famous dead man in an urn around as a party joke.” Mr Sharkey said “Michael D bored me a bit and talked about things I had no interest in, and he just went on and on and on”.

In 2011 the council nominated Mr Gallagher to run for president. It will make its decision on nominations at the September council meeting scheduled for Monday.