Paedo swim coach Derry O'Rourke back in the news

donaghs

Convicted again: https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/0730/1462525-derry-orourke-court/

One of 3 Irish national coaches known to be paedophiles: George Gibney, Derry O’Rourke, Ger Doyle. As were 2 other important people in Irish swimming Frank McCann and Fr Ronald Bennett.

I don't think Irish swimming has ever really come clean on this? Like other organisations, if someone is caught, try and paint them as a bad apple, protect the institution and move on. Its only victims coming forward which revealed any of this. people in swimming administration must have known and said nothing.

Seems to be other stories like this from Chalkie White:

"In January, 1991, while in Australia, swimmer Mr White told the honorary medical officer of both the Irish Amateur Swimming Association and the Leinster Branch of the IASA, Moira O’Brien, that he had been abused by Gibney. White would later tell the Murphy Inquiry – set up to look at abuse in swimming – that Ms O’Brien told him it would be his word against Gibney and that he should ‘get on with it’. Ms O’Brien would later tell the Murphy Inquiry, Chalkie was ‘confused’ and ’emotionally unstable as a result of a head injury’ and that Chalkie didn’t want her to report the matter."

"Mr White tells the National Development Officer of the IASA, in March 1991, about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Gibney. The officer later tells the Murphy Inquiry nothing specific was told to him and that he didn’t know of any abuse until November 1992."

"In June of that year, Mr White told the secretary of the IASA, Hillary Hughes, about the abuse he suffered. The secretary later tells the Murphy Inquiry that she did not remember his allegations."

Quotes from https://www.broadsheet.ie/2017/11/07/who-is-protecting-george-gibney/

It looks like the IASA was rebranded as "Swim Ireland" in 1999. But the same admin people in place.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/swim-ireland-reborn-into-stormy-waters/26163467.html

One eyed Jack

I don't think Irish swimming has ever really come clean on this?

They haven’t. It appears as though like you’ve suggested - they hope to bury it and hope it goes away. Swim Ireland did release a statement at the time of Matthew Coward’s conviction, but they’ve never addressed the historical and institutional abuse or the abusers who went unpunished that there hasn’t been anything in the media about them:

https://swimireland.ie/2023/11/21/swim-ireland-statement/

Seen it in another thread discussing the Olympics how Ireland doesn’t really focus on swimming. It does, it’s part of the national curriculum in education that children are taught at least how to swim. However the reason that parents don’t continue to encourage their children to swim, let alone competitively, has a lot to do with the amount of shìt that goes on that gets covered up in order to protect the organisations reputation.

Gusser09

How the bastard was let out in the first place is a real Irish thing. He should have been sentenced to life the first time around. Swim Ireland and swimming in Ireland is tainted beyond repair. The amount of pedophiles operating during the 80's, 90's and 00's is staggering really when you think about it. What is it about that particular sport that attracts them. Don't forget the fella who got away. George Gibney.

https://open.spotify.com/show/3VNyXX3WiMSoNQz6pxHQjw