‘A Case Of Wires Crossed’

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Cork Fianna Fáil TD Kevin O’Keeffe; ex-CEO of the FAI John Delaney

More balls?

The Irish Sun yesterday reported that former CEO of the FAI John Delaney secured two World Cup final tickets for Cork Fianna Fáil TD Kevin O’Keeffe – who is a member of the Oireachtas sporting committee – last summer.

The newspaper reported that Mr O’Keeffe paid €905 for the two passes.

Mr O’Keeffe told the newspaper he didn’t see a problem with sourcing the tickets via Mr Delaney and said:

“How (else) would I get a World Cup final ticket?”

This morning.

Joe Leogue, in The Irish Examiner, reported that he contacted Mr O’Keeffe last Thursday and asked him how he got the tickets for the final in Moscow and the TD said the FAI had no involvement in him sourcing the tickets.

Mr Leogue reports:

Mr O’Keeffe said there was a case of “wires crossed” and that his original reply intended to inform that the FAI did not have any involvement in his itinerary for the trip to Russia. This newspaper put it to Mr O’Keeffe that he had been asked if the FAI assisted him in any way, said no, and that his latest comments apparently contradict this.

Mr O’Keeffe said he never denied getting the tickets from the FAI, but that he had maintained that he was responsible for the financing and logistics of the trip. Last Thursday we also submitted a query in writing to the FAI Press Office.

Meanwhile…

This morning, The Irish Sun reports Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, who is also a member of the Oireachtas sports committee, is calling for Mr O’Keeffe to step down from the committee, saying she believes there is now a “conflict of interest” facing Mr O’Keeffe.

The committee is scheduled to question Mr Delaney and other senior FAI members about the FAI’s governance on April 10.

But Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley has since told The Irish Examiner that Mr O’Keeffe is “not compromised”.

TD: Crossed wires to blame for FAI ticket denial (Joe Leogue, The Irish Examiner)

Fianna Fail TD Kevin O’Keeffe who is on Dail committee bought World Cup Final tickets through under-fire FAI chief John Delaney (Neil Cotter, Adam Higgins, The Irish Sun)

Under-fire John Delaney watches Ireland beat Georgia with partner Emma English as tennis ball-slinging football fans chant ‘f*** Delaney and the FAI’ (Michael Doyle and Adam Higgins, The Irish Sun)

UPDATE:

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11 thoughts on “‘A Case Of Wires Crossed’”

  2. LeopoldGloom

    be interesteing to see Kevin O’Keefe expense claims for last year!

    He hopefully learned from his father’s experience to keep it all above board.

  3. eoin

    “The newspaper reported that Mr O’Keeffe paid €905 for the two passes.”, I believe the Sun reported the two category one tickets cost €903 apiece, or €1,806 in total. Believe it or not, those were the face value of tickets for the world cup final in Moscow last summer.

    Reports around the time claimed the category one tickets were on offer “for up to $105,000” on the secondary market.

    Do we know if Deputy O’Keeffe was at the final and who accompanied him, or did he sell the tickets. Do we know when he tried to acquire the tickets. Based on the answers to these questions, there may be a case for Deputy O’Keeffe to answer before SIPO or the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018.

    Stepping back from this, you’d wonder how this info came out and if it was the FAI getting its retaliation in first with the politicians.

    1. Curated by Vanessa for Frilly Keane

      If there is an issue that’ll be it

      Did O’Keefe actually use the tickets himself
      Like put his own and his plus 1’s bum in the seats
      I’m sure that’s easily confirmed

      Or did he flog ’em
      Now that’s corruption
      And a load of other stuff
      But let him worry about that

  4. henry

    I wonder did he use his expenses to buy them?
    I am sure his accounts might make very easy reading

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