Magician Keith Barry demands to be put on Cork's REDFM

That_Girl_ Is_ A_Cowboy wrote: »

**** on a plane is a perverted thing to do. .

Hotelier and Cork Convention Bureau official Seamus Heaney was in an aisle seat to the left of Neil Prendeville.


Niamh Hennessy, who is a reporter with the Irish Examiner was sitting in the window seat. Seamus Heaney was sitting in the aisle seat. The alleged perpetrator of the alleged incident was sitting in the centre seat. The Air Hostesses were sitting opposite, in the bulkhead seats.

Seamus Heany made the following statement when questioned about the alleged incident:

"I personally saw nothing, so I cannot comment."

Sitting immediately next to him, and in his company, having attended the function with him, and saw nothing.


The Air Hostess, Rose Cox is the one who confronted the alleged perpetrator about the alleged incident.

No action was taken on board, or when the plane landed, or the next day or on subsequent days.

The reporter spoke to her editor, and filed a story about the incident which was published two weeks later.

She then went to the Gardai and made a statement, which led to the investigation.

The whole thing stinks.

Nothing would have happened, If there wasn't a junior reporter with The Irish Examiner sitting next to you that is.

She reported it all over the front page of her employer's newspaper, The Irish Examiner.

Almost two weeks later.

Then she drew her salary, and then she decided to report it to the Gardai.





And by the way, where did I say "he didn't do it?"

What is "it" he is alleged to have done?

This whole thing reeks of hypocrisy, where a junior journalist recounts an experience of something that she allegedly witnessed on a flight. So she decides to tell her employer. They publish it, almost two weeks later and then, and only then, does she go to report it to the relevant authorities who investigate it, with the result that no charges are pressed against the individual for the alleged incident.

Then, the newspaper publishes a further allegation from Niamh Hennessy which is not a report, but rather an opinion.

The whole witch hunt is beneath contempt and Niamh Hennessy has come out of this looking very shabby.

None of her allegations have been substantiated: the person sitting on the other seat didn't see anything, Aer Lingus staff didn't make any complaints, and the only reason anything happened was because Niamh Hennessy presented a story, (which the DPP now agrees was that: a story) to her employers who decided to run with it and put one over on a rival media organisation.

That in itself is shabby enough. But to then go and call a local media lawyer an "expert in aviation law" in a vain attempt to justify it's behaviour really scrapes the bottom of the barrel of what any responsible newspaper should do.

This whole thing is a non event: the DPP reviewed all of the evidence and decided no prosecution should follow. TCH's solicitors wheeled out a litigation lawyer which TCH referred to as an "expert in aviation law" to talk about jurisdiction, and whether or not the aircraft was in flight or not.

They are rapidly retreating, and have now finally, begun to use the word "allegedly" in respect to this whole incident.

Meanwhile a man's life is in ruins, over something he has absolutely no recollection of ever doing. The man seated immediately to his left didn't see anything, the two air hostesses sitting directly opposite him didn't report anything when the aircraft landed at Cork airport, and when the journalist Niamh Hennessy eventually reported it almost three weeks later the Gardai investigated the alleged incident and the relevant authorities decided no further action needed to be taken.

Enter Niamh Hennessy and her employers again, trying to insinuate that the DPP didn't prosecute because of a "jurisdictional technicality."

The DPP did not say this, he didn't give any reason as to why charges weren't brought. "The female witnesses were told that it was because of a jurisdictional technality."

Who told them?

An "expert in aviation law?"

Or a "leading media lawyer?"

Don't make me laugh.