Category Archives: Misc

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From top: designer hub Creative Ireland and the government’s new Creative Ireland arts initiative

Stephen Synnott writes:

As you may be aware Enda launched his sudden new interest in the Arts ‘Creative Ireland‘ last Thursday to much fanfare – a ‘brand new’ initiative to support the Arts in everything from coding to… food, indeed pretty much everything it seems, including tin whistles for all no doubt. What’s not to love?

Unfortunately, Creative Ireland has already existed since 1999 as a website for the design community with free directory, free jobdesk and community forum with 5,000 members.

Even a cursory check of Google would have found us. Perhaps it doesn’t bode well for this ‘creative’ initiative that it couldn’t even be bothered to come up with its own name?

FIGHT!

Creative ireland

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From top: George Gibney and journalist Irvin Muchnick

Readers may recall how a San Francisco district court judge, Judge Charles Breyer, last week ordered the US government to release documents pertaining to the US immigration file on former Irish swimming coach George Gibney to US journalist Irvin Muchnick.

Mr Muchnick, in Judge Breyer’s words, “hopes to uncover how American authorities allowed an alleged sexual predator to enter and reside in the United States despite the scandal swirling around him in his native Ireland. He also suspects that the American Swimming Coaches Association greased the wheels for Gibney’s relocation.”

It remains to be seen whether the US government will agree to Judge Breyer’s order or if it will appeal the decision to a higher court.

Until then…

A timeline:

1960s: George Gibney begins his career as a swimming coach in Dublin’s Guinness Swimming Pool. He worked as a fitter at Guinness. He also worked in the Marian College pool in Ballsbridge and the Waterford Crystal Swimming Club.

1967: Gibney allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy, Francis ‘Chalkie’ White.

1968: Gibney allegedly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl.

1972: Gibney starts to coach swimming at Glenalbyn pool in Stillorgan.

1975: Gibney leaves Glenalbyn for the new 25-metre pool and sports complex at Newpark Comprehensive School.

The Murphy Inquiry later noted that it was alleged he seriously abused a young swimmer at Glenalbyn club [although the club wasn’t named in the report]. A woman told the Murphy Inquiry that in 1975, when she was 13, Gibney abused her as she stayed with him for a month while her parents were on holiday.

She said she confided in a priest who told her to confront Gibney and tell him to stop. She claims that after confronting Gibney about the abuse, he slapped her across the face and called her a ‘whore’. He continued to abuse her until she was 15, she said.

1976: Gibney establishes Trojan Swimming Club at Newpark Comprehensive School.

1977: A woman later tells the Murphy Inquiry that in 1977, when she was 12, she was advised by another person who abused her to accept a lift from Gibney, who then subsequently abused her when he drove her home.

1988: George Gibney is appointed coach of the Irish swimming squad for the Seoul Olympics.

1989: Gibney is given honorary life membership of Irish Amateur Swimming Association.

May 1990: Gibney resigns as Director of Swimming at the IASA, claiming he cannot do the job on a part-time basis.Continue reading →