State Papers: Warnings over bad publicity after ‘gay bashing’ of US writer in Sligo

Thu, 28 Dec, 2023 - 09:00

Sean McCarthaigh

Staff in the White House warned the Irish embassy in Washington almost 25 years ago about the danger of bad publicity following the violent assault of a prominent gay American writer in Sligo.

The victim, Robert Drake, suffered serious injuries and was beaten “to within an inch of his life” in the assault which took place on January 31, 1999.

An official from the US National Security Council told Irish diplomats at the time that the investigation into the assault would need to be carefully handled “if the potential for public and media embarrassment was to be minimised”.

American author Robert Drake has been in a wheelchair since the assault. Picture: James Connolly / PicSell8

Mr Drake suffered a vicious attack which left him in a critical condition at Beaumont Hospital.

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Tests subsequently confirmed that he had suffered extensive permanent brain damage, and had to use a wheelchair.

Several weeks later, National Security Council director of European Affairs Larry Butler contacted the Irish embassy to state that several members of the gay community had been in touch with the White House “to relay concerns about the case”.

US newspapers had portrayed the attack as a so-called “gay bashing” incident.

In particular, Mr Butler recommended the need for “adroit handling” of the situation to minimise the potential for “public and media embarrassment”.

However, he stated that the stakes were raised from the prominence of the victim as well as the wider political dimension.

He warned An Garda Síochána and the Director of Public Prosecutions — who were dealing with the US media inquiries — to avoid “an utterly bureaucratic approach, which may be interpreted as indifference”.

In 2000, two Sligo men aged in their 20s, Ian Monaghan and Glen Mahon, were each sentenced to eight years in prison for the assault.