Noel Grealish reveals captain's prize function of 'two-day' #golfgate event was cancelled

The Galway West TD, who is captain of the golf society, said he is not resigning over his role in organising the event.

Independent TD Noel Grealish has denied that a pre-dinner drinks reception took place at another hotel in Clifden before the Oireachtas Golf Society function last week.

And the Galway West TD, who is captain of the golf society, said he is not resigning over his role in organising the event although he has admitted it should never have gone ahead.

Deputy Grealish said that the decision to go ahead with the controversial dinner was taken by the president of the golf society Donie Cassidy based on advice received from the Irish Hotel Federation.

And the former Progressive Democrats leader, who was first elected to the Dáil in 2002, said he was not aware of a pre-dinner drinks reception taking place in the Abbeyglen Hotel in Clifden prior to the event in the Station House Hotel.

“No, there was no pre-drinks reception in the Abbeyglen Hotel. No, there wasn’t,” he said.

Deputy Grealish, speaking to Galway Bay FM, confirmed that Enda Kenny and Dick Spring had both played in the golf tournament but did not attend the president’s dinner.

“Enda Kenny played golf on Tuesday and Dick Spring played golf on Wednesday,” he added.

Deputy Grealish said he was not going to resign over his involvement in organising the event but said he would co-operate fully with the Garda enquiry into it.

“I am a TD elected by the people in Galway West. They have put their faith and trust in me. I have let a lot of them down and I am going to try rebuild that but at the end of the day it is a democracy, the people vote you in and the people can vote you out but I have let people down and I’m going to work twice as hard.

Deputy Grealish, speaking to Galway Bay FM, confirmed that Enda Kenny (pictured) and Dick Spring had both played in the golf tournament but did not attend the president’s dinner. File Photo

“People are extremely upset, a lot of people have paid a very, very heavy price with this coronavirus, a lot of people have put their lives on the line going into work dealing in the health service and they are let down by this and I can’t apologise any more. They are let down by everyone who attended this function. It was the president’s dinner on the night, it was in honour of a founding member and that family are extremely upset also over it.” 

Deputy Grealish said he queried on Wednesday morning whether the dinner should go ahead and that the decision to go ahead with the event, which was attended by 81 people, was taken by Mr Cassidy following advice from the Irish Hotels Federation.

"It was wrong, it shouldn’t have gone ahead, it should have been cancelled. I raised it on Wednesday morning with the president of the golf society Donie Cassidy.

It was a two-day event. There was the captain’s prize on Tuesday and there was no function that night. On Wednesday it was the president’s prize and that night it was the president’s function honouring the late Mark Killilea, who founded the society 50 years ago.

“I did raise it on Wednesday morning with Donie Cassidy, should the function go ahead in its current format? And he contacted the Irish Hotels Federation who issued a statement and said they contacted the Department of Tourism and they said the existing guidelines are still in place and that it could go ahead.

“But it shouldn’t have gone ahead. There were two function rooms, which were the guidelines, which were sent to the hotel as well.

“But it should have been cancelled, it was wrong. It has hurt a lot of people, a lot of people have made a lot of sacrifices, a lot of people have adhered to the rules, we should have cancelled it and walked away from it. 

"I want to most sincerely apologise for it. I have let a lot of people down in Galway West, my supporters, my friends and my family. There are a lot of people hurt over this all over Ireland and I can’t apologise enough.

“The decision was made by the president of the golf society (Donie Cassidy), who is a hotelier who owns four hotels in Dublin, and by the Station House Hotel, on the advice they got from the Irish Hotels Federation, and that’s why it went ahead. That’s what the decision was made by. But it shouldn’t have gone ahead.

“There is an enquiry going ahead and I made it quite clear I’m going to co-operate fully with that. The Gardaí have not contacted me yet, I have had no contact from anybody yet. This has to be a thorough enquiry and I will co-operate fully.”