political dynasty
The final report examining the years of sexual abuse perpetrated by Bill Kenneally has been published in full.
Bill Kenneally, pictured in 2024. Sasko Lazarov
Sasko Lazarov
THE FAILURE OF two senior gardaí to conduct a proper investigation into the activities of paedophile Bill Kenneally has been described as “a clear and serious dereliction of duty” even by the standards of the late 1980s.
A report into how the State responded to horrific allegations surrounding one of Ireland’s worst sex predators, also found that there was “a missed opportunity” to act in 1985 after a 14-year-old boy walked into a garda station and reported he had been sexually assaulted by the former basketball coach.
The teenager was told that he was too young to make a statement and no steps were taken to contact his parents or bring him home.
The Commission of Investigation report into how Waterford-based Kenneally’s catalogue of abuse was handled, stated it is now known that 11 boys were being sexually abused by him in the same year the boy tried to make his complaint.
The report also found that “the failure of the South Eastern Health Board to act on child protection” after a paediatrician filed a report in 1989 recording that two patients had disclosed that Kenneally was sexually abusing boys “was a lost opportunity to stop Bill Kenneally’s continuing illegal activity and to produce accountability much earlier than 2012/2013″.
In 2016, the serial abuser was jailed for 14 years, and in 2023, received another four-and-a-half year sentence for indecent assaults on five boys, to run consecutively to the earlier term.
Commission Chairman, Michael White, said that while “there is no doubt Bill Kenneally received objectively favourable treatment in 1987/1988,” there was “no evidence of widespread collusion that would indicate any finding by the Commission of State Collusion and/or Conspiracy”.
He added that this finding “is not to underestimate in any way the seriousness of the dereliction of duty in the original investigation of 1987/1988″.
Profile of a predator: Report finds Kenneally was ‘intelligent and manipulative and an expert at grooming children’ >
The report, which marks the end of an eight-year Commission of Investigation, found that in late 1987, “knowledge of some of his activities became known in Waterford to two senior Garda officers, and some other gardaí, the Principal of the largest secondary school, De La Salle, a retired politician, a senior clergyman, a psychiatrist, and to some parents of victims”.
In addition, a senior South Eastern Health Board paediatrician, a GP and other parents were informed of matters that made them suspicious that Kenneally sexually abused children.
The final report was sent to cabinet this morning and has been published online this afternoon.
Major political dynasty
The retired politician mentioned in the report was former TD Billy Kenneally, a paternal uncle of the predator, while the senior clergyman, another uncle of the abuser, was the late Monsignor John Shine, who was the brother of Bill Kenneally’s mother Marie.
The Kenneally family, William the grandfather, his son Billy Snr and his son Brendan Kenneally were active and elected Waterford politicians either as TDs, Senators, City Councillors and Mayors from 1952 to 2011 for the Fianna Fáil party, a period of 59 years.
This was described in the report as “a significant achievement, probably unparalleled in Irish political life”.
Bill Kenneally, when giving evidence to the Commission in 2024, volunteered that he had been approached about the Waterford City council seat vacated when Brendan Kenneally, his cousin, was appointed a Minister of State in 1992. Part of the approach to him was that he would likely become Mayor of Waterford in a few years if co-opted to the Council.
He declined, agreeing with the suggestion that “he had skeletons in his cupboard”. Kinneally did not state who was behind the approach.
Bill Kenneally continued to canvas for Brendan Kenneally at elections and assist in the tally at election counts for decades after Billy Kenneally senior first learned that he was sexually abusing boys.
During a public hearing of the Commission in 2024, Brendan Kenneally accepted in evidence that knowing Bill Kenneally was an admitted paedophile, he continued to allow him to canvas for him at general elections and to act as a tallyman at election counts up to 2011.
The Chairperson subsequently put it to Brendan Kenneally that “a number of victims as adults were very upset when he came to their door canvassing”.
Brendan Kenneally appearing at the inquiry investigating how authorities handled allegations about his cousin, Bill Kenneally. Eoghan Dalton / The Journal
Eoghan Dalton / The Journal / The Journal
‘Dereliction of duty’
The report also examines how An Garda Síochana became aware of Bill Kenneally’s illegal activities in 1987.
It documents a complaint made by a father of a victim…
Read the full article at TheJournal.ie →📄Source document: Commission of Investigation Report→15 reports
The Irish TimesIndependent🔒Center3 days agoThe article discusses the life and criminal history of Bill Kenneally, a former basketball coach and member of a prominent Waterford political family, who was convicted of sexual offenses against minors. It highlights his connections to local politics and the Catholic Church through his family relations. The article references a report by retired High Court judge Michael White, who investigated Kenneally's activities.
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Official sources cited
- government Report by Judge Michael White on the Commission of Investigation into Bill Kenneally
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Official sources cited
- government Commission of Investigation Report
- government Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan
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Official sources cited
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Official sources cited
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Official sources cited
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