Courts / Galway / Report
Customer, security guard, trade accusations about slurs in McDonalds 'contretemps'
Summary
A McDonalds security guard, Alfred Edward, denied calling a customer, Paul Cronin, a 'queer' during an incident last year, while Cronin accused Edward of calling him a 'black monkey' before ejecting him from the premises. The dispute was heard at a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearing under the Equal Status Act 2000. Cronin, who identifies as gay, claimed he was removed from the restaurant on 24 January 2025 due to prejudice and bias. Edward denied using any discriminatory language and stated he had no knowledge of Cronin's sexuality. Cronin described the encounter, saying Edward was aggressive and refused to discuss the situation with him. He alleged that Edward grabbed his phone and physically pushed him out the door, causing him to fall. Cronin later emailed McDonalds Ireland but did not mention the alleged slur, citing embarrassment. He sought €500 in compensation, claiming he was assaulted and injured. Edward, who has lived in Ireland for three years, stated he was from Germany and had no awareness of Cronin's sexuality.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Customer, security guard, trade accusations about slurs in McDonalds 'contretemps'. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- 24 January Hearing Or Sentence
- 2026-05-13 Publication
Why: Mr Cronin, who identifies as gay, alleges Mr Edward threw him out on 24 January, 2025 because he was "prejudiced" and "completely biased" towards him. CNI source report
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