Martin McDonagh awarded €5,000 for Traveller discrimination

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Martin McDonagh was awarded €5,000 after the Workplace Relations Commission found that Mulroy Woods Hotel discriminated against him because he is a member of the Traveller community, in a decision published on 30 October 2024.

The WRC heard that the hotel cancelled his booking, saying it had no availability, but later accepted reservations made under relatives’ surnames. McDonagh said he did not stay at the hotel after receiving no answer when he asked why his booking had been cancelled.

The hotel did not attend the hearing. Adjudicator Marie Flynn found that McDonagh had established an inference of discrimination and that the hotel had not provided evidence to rebut it; she ruled, on the balance of probabilities, that he was denied accommodation because of his Traveller community membership.

The WRC ordered the hotel to pay €5,000 compensation for the effects of the discrimination.