A Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator has dismissed a discrimination complaint filed by Ryanair flight attendant Fernando Oliveira against Ryanair DAC, finding the claim to be an abuse of process. Mr. Oliveira, a Portuguese national, alleged race and family status discrimination under the Employment Equality Act 1998, seeking €170,000 in compensation, the expungement of disciplinary records, and mandatory training for management. Ryanair denied the allegations, noting that Mr. Oliveira had received a final written warning and paid suspension following an investigation into complaints from other crew. The adjudicator, Patricia Owens, rejected the claim, stating that Mr. Oliveira failed to establish an inference of discrimination or provide cogent evidence for his claims of victimisation, harassment, or sexual harassment. The decision highlighted that Mr. Oliveira's legal submissions were rife with irrelevant, misquoted, and non-existent citations, including references to phantom determinations. Although Mr. Oliveira initially dismissed suggestions that he used artificial intelligence to generate his papers as a baseless attack, he later acknowledged he may have used AI. The adjudicator concluded that his reliance on these inaccurate citations wasted considerable time for the respondent and the tribunal, constituting an egregious abuse of process. Consequently, the complaint was denied, and no compensation or other remedies were awarded.
In a High Court hearing on 6 October 2025, a man in his 40s, whose name is protected by a Circuit Court anonymity order, applied to have a 43‑page report read by the court. The report, compiled with an artificial‑intelligence tool, was part of his attempt to halt prosecution for harassing his ex‑wife and her parents. Judge Mary Rose Gearty expressed concern that the AI tool could reveal the identity of alleged victims, potentially breaching the anonymity order. The man claimed he had been coerced into pleading guilty and that his former legal team had pressured him. The DPP's counsel opposed the inclusion of the report in the judicial review, arguing it was inappropriate to reopen the case. Judge Gearty agreed to read the report and would decide later in the month whether a new hearing is needed. The case remains at the judicial‑review stage.
Tara O'Flaherty, a care service manager, lost her claim for disability‑related harassment against her former employer, Mid West Healthcare Ltd trading as Kare Plus Mid West. She alleged that colleague Kristian Doyle had mocked her arthritic hands by "contorting" his fingers during a meeting and that other incidents of discriminatory harassment had occurred. Doyle denied all allegations, stating he had never behaved in such a manner and that any perceived mimicry was false. The tribunal, led by adjudicator Louise Boyle, found both parties' evidence evasive and lacking detail, questioning their credibility. Boyle concluded that O'Flaherty had failed to establish a case of discrimination or harassment, noting no failure to provide reasonable accommodation. The Employment Equality Act 1998 claim was therefore rejected. The decision was made in a hearing held in January 2025.
A garda with severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder has lodged complaints of disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation against the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána and the Minister for Justice at the Workplace Relations Commission. Garda Joseph Joyce, stationed in Longford, alleges he was ordered to return to frontline duty on 1 January 2022 contrary to medical advice during a Covid-19 surge, despite being granted special leave since April 2020 on grounds of severe health risk. He claims management ignored his general practitioner's guidance and assurances from a superintendent that he would not engage with the public, yet he was sent on foot patrol in Longford Town. Mr Joyce contends he encountered poor station hygiene, lack of sanitiser, equipment failures and subsequent claims he had breached protocols, causing work-related stress. The State disputes these allegations and argues An Garda Síochána was entitled to maintain operational capacity and that work-from-home arrangements were not sustainable. The commission has adjourned proceedings pending further evidence.
Patrick Kinsella, a security officer at RFC Security Ltd, claimed in a tribunal that a manager threatened him with anal rape in October 2024 and made other sexually offensive remarks in December and January 2025. He also alleged mockery and abuse over a dental problem. Kinsella raised these allegations formally in February 2025, after a prior warning in September 2024. The company denied all claims, stating no unlawful treatment occurred, and argued lack of corroboration. The tribunal found the alleged remarks "vile" and "outrageous," and noted that the alleged perpetrators did not testify while Kinsella provided detailed evidence on oath. The adjudicator concluded that RFC Security Ltd failed to displace the burden of proof, upheld the sexual harassment complaint, and awarded Kinsella €7,500 in compensation, but did not uphold an ageism claim. The award considered Kinsella's delayed complaint filing. The tribunal decision was issued on 23 September 2025.
Michael Murray, 54, was convicted in 2021 of making death threats against two barristers and of harassing his rape victim by advertising her online as a prostitute. He had previously been sentenced to 19 years for rape in 2013, a sentence later increased to 19 years by the Court of Appeal. In July 2021, Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a nine‑year sentence for the threat to Dominic McGinn and a seven‑year sentence for the threat to Tony McGillicuddy, to be served consecutively, giving an effective 16‑year term for these offences. The judge also imposed four years for harassment of McGinn and the female defence solicitor and five years for possession of a mobile phone in prison. Murray's barrister, Barry White SC, argued that the totality principle was not applied and that the combined 35‑year sentence was wrong, while the Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel maintained that the consecutive sentences were appropriate and proportionate. Michael Murray pleaded not guilty.
Leni Shanahan, a former employee of Spilt Milk, secured €5,000 in compensation from LN Ice Cream Ltd following a Workplace Relations Commission hearing. Ms Shanahan alleged sexual harassment by a colleague, identified as Mr A, during her employment at the Drury Street shop in 2024. She claimed Mr A made inappropriate comments about sexual chemistry, commented on her physical appearance, and insisted she stop refusing his advances. The adjudicator found that the employer failed to take reasonable and practical steps to prevent harassment, noting no measures were in place. Although the adjudicator noted it was unhelpful that Ms Shanahan declined to participate in the company's internal investigation, this did not diminish the respondent's liability. Dave Meehan, a company director and applicant in related proceedings, testified that he had since undertaken human resources training and apologized for the situation. He stated he had no prior experience managing a city centre shop and believed he had led with care. Another director, Steven Murphy, noted that the internal investigation found no factual evidence to uphold the complaint, as Mr A refuted the allegations. The WRC adjudicator, Pat Brady, upheld the claim and awarded the compensation, rejecting the statutory defence due to the lack of preventive measures.
In a Workplace Relations Commission hearing, a migrant chef, Mohammad Usman Ghani, claimed he was unaware of a debit card opened in his name after he left Daata Restaurant. Ghani, a commis chef on a 2023 work permit, said he had no knowledge of the card until a Garda raid in December 2024 uncovered his documents at the restaurant's premises. He alleged that his wages were withheld while working about 70 hours a week and that the director, Fahid Saleem, pressured him repeatedly. Saleem denied threatening deportation or harassment, stating he treated staff as family and had no knowledge of any wage withholding. The case was reported as "amicably resolved" after talks, with no further public hearings scheduled. The restaurant, founded in 1999, operates several locations in Wicklow and Dublin.
Mark McAnaw, aged 53 and previously of Letterkenny, County Donegal, has been sentenced to an additional ten months in custody following a breach of suspended sentence conditions at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. McAnaw pleaded guilty last month to harassing three female journalists in August 2023 and was handed an eleven-year sentence for those offences. He had been released from custody in July 2023 on the suspended portion of an earlier eight-year-four-month sentence for aggravated burglary, imposed in 2023. Judge Martin Nolan activated ten months of the sixteen-month suspended element, to run consecutively to the existing eleven-year sentence. The court heard McAnaw sent threatening emails and messages to the women and attended their workplace. He is currently detained in the Central Mental Hospital. A lifelong contact prohibition and exclusion order have been imposed.
Siddarth Thirunavukkarasu, a shop supervisor at Circle K's Belgard filling station in Tallaght, brought a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998 alleging gender‑based harassment after his manager, Julita Howe, allegedly told him to "be a man" and forced him to supervise a homeless man cleaning a bathroom that had been contaminated with faeces. Thirunavukkarasu claimed he was made to watch the homeless man clean the toilet with bare hands, was threatened with Garda reporting if he did not comply, and was instructed to give the man gloves and a blue towel while holding the door open. He reported nausea and discomfort from the smell and refused to continue, but Howe allegedly replied "Come on, be a man." The Workplace Relations Commission found no evidence of discrimination or victimisation but accepted that the remark constituted harassment, ordering Circle K to pay €1,000 in compensation.
A man from Castlebar has pleaded guilty to sharing intimate images of a woman without her consent on two separate occasions. Daniel Humphreys, aged 38 and residing on McHale Road, admitted the offences at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, which fall under legislation commonly known as Coco's Law. The incidents occurred on October 6, 2021 and around June 1, 2022. Humphreys also pleaded guilty to harassment of the same woman spanning from February 11, 2021 to June 1, 2022 across various locations. He has no previous convictions. Judge Eoin Garavan ordered both psychological and probation reports to assist in sentencing. The case has been adjourned, with a sentence hearing scheduled for October 21.
Alanna Quinn Idris testified in court about prior harassment by Jack Cummins, who procured a gang attack on her, resulting in her being blinded in one eye. Jack Cummins (21) of Rossmore Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to procuring the commission of assault causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris on Ballyfermot Road on December 30, 2021, and to violent disorder and assault causing harm. He admitted to making two phone calls to his cousin Josh Cummins (20) to orchestrate the attack. Ms Quinn Idris, who was 17 at the time, suffered serious injuries, including a shattered tooth, a broken cheekbone, and a ruptured eyeball, leading to permanent vision loss in her right eye. Her friend Louis O'Sullivan was also assaulted. Josh Cummins pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris, violent disorder, and assault causing harm to Mr O'Sullivan. He received a five-year sentence, with the final two years suspended in November 2023. Darragh Lyons (21) of Weir View, Glenaulin, Chapelizod, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris, assault causing harm to Mr O'Sullivan, and violent disorder. He was sentenced to four and a half years in March 2023. The court adjourned the case to July 29 for finalisation and remanded Jack Cummins on continuing bail.
Eamon Moran, 51, a retired detective garda, had an eight‑month custodial sentence for harassment of a woman—sending unwanted texts and calls between 2021 and 2023—fully suspended for two years on appeal. The suspension required him to avoid contact with the victim and her family, stay one kilometre from her home, continue medical rehabilitation, and attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. In October 2024, Judge David McHugh reactivated the sentence after Moran emailed and called the victim in September 2024, breaching the conditions. The victim reported the breaches, citing anxiety and stress. Moran did not contest the breach. Counsel Niamh Ní Aonghusa argued that Moran misinterpreted the non‑relationship and expressed remorse, noting his deteriorating health following a 2012 attack. Judge Sinéad McMullan, considering his health, fully suspended the eight‑month sentence again for two years, reaffirming the conditions of no further contact, distance from the victim's home, ongoing medical care, and AA attendance. The unnamed woman pleaded guilty and was convicted.
An airline was ordered to pay €7,500 to a passenger who was denied an exit‑row seat he had booked for extra legroom after disclosing his autism. The Workplace Relations Commission found the airline had discriminated against him under the Equal Status Act and had harassed him by repeatedly asking him to explain his disability in front of other passengers. The passenger had requested special assistance in advance, citing difficulties with queuing and the need for space for his sleep‑apnea machine. When he arrived to check in for his return flight, the airline moved him out of the exit‑row seat, citing his disability. He was placed in the second row and could not move his legs freely. The airline's lawyers argued that safety regulations barred passengers with disabilities from exit‑row seats, but the tribunal concluded the regulations only restrict seating when a passenger's mobility poses a safety risk.
A man with previous convictions for rape and kidnapping has been sentenced to eleven years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for harassing three female journalists. Mark McAnaw, formerly of Letterkenny, County Donegal, pleaded guilty to charges relating to harassment that occurred in August 2023. He sent explicit and threatening emails to the women, including threats to kill, and attended their workplace. Judge Pauline Codd imposed the full sentence after McAnaw declined to accept conditions that would have suspended the final twelve months. She imposed a lifelong contact ban and ordered McAnaw remain ten miles from the women's homes and workplaces. The judge noted McAnaw's history of violent offending and his failure to engage with mental health treatment while detained at the Central Mental Hospital. McAnaw is assessed as presenting high risk of violent and sexual reoffending.
In a 2025 ruling, the Workplace Relations Commission rejected a discrimination claim by chef Serhat Aksakal against the Odeon Bar and Restaurant in Dublin. Aksakal alleged that a senior employee, Mr Z, thrust his genital area into him and made a "yee‑haw" noise, describing the act as having "undeniable sexual overtones." The WRC found the incident did not occur in a workplace where sexual harassment was tolerated. Aksakal had used ChatGPT to draft his complaint, and the tribunal noted the language used must accurately reflect the events. Mr Z was dismissed the month after the incident, and the company had already rectified a separate claim of unpaid tips. The commission upheld the dismissal and dismissed the discrimination claim, while acknowledging the claim under the Payment of Wages Act was well‑founded but had been remedied.
A 57‑year‑old man, already serving a 10‑year sentence for raping a 16‑year‑old in 2018, was ordered to serve an additional three years for harassing and threatening to kill his former partner, a woman 33 years his junior. He had begun a relationship with her in 2018, met online while selling puppies, and they had a child. After the relationship ended, he sent her three threat‑to‑kill messages on 11 January 2020 and harassed her between 18 December 2019 and 31 March 2020. He also sent a photo of an elderly patient to her employer, falsely alleging mistreatment, which led to her suspension and eventual dismissal. The judge, noting the age disparity and the lasting impact on her life, imposed a four‑year sentence with the final year suspended, to run consecutively with his rape sentence, and ordered no contact for five years after release. The man's prior 29 convictions were also noted. The unnamed 57-year-old pleaded guilty.
Leni Shanahan, a 21‑year‑old student, resigned from Spilt Milk after months of sexual harassment by a colleague in his early 30s. She said the man repeatedly asked her out, discussed sexual experiences, made comments about her appearance, and told her she was "physically aroused" by her flirting. Shanahan also claimed the shop director, Dave Meehan, repeated a remark that the harasser would become "physically aroused" by her. She filed a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998 with the Workplace Relations Commission, alleging discrimination by the employer, LN Ice Cream Ltd. The company denied liability, said an internal investigation found no evidence to support her claims, and offered an apology. Shanahan said she had no knowledge of a harassment policy or complaint procedure and that she had not complained before resigning. The tribunal will decide on the case.
Dean Howard, 33, of Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to a male victim on July 10 and 11, 2022. The court heard that Howard entered his ex-girlfriend's home uninvited and assaulted her new partner while they were in bed. He also brandished a pint glass, used abusive language, and followed the victims in his car. Although initially facing additional charges including harassment, the DPP accepted a guilty plea to assault causing harm on a full facts basis. Judge Orla Crowe noted the severe impact on the victims and described Howard's behavior as abusive and disrespectful. Considering mitigation, including Howard's lack of previous convictions, his remorse, and personal circumstances, the judge imposed an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for three years. Howard was also directed to have no contact with the female victim for three years and ordered to pay €2,500 to a women's refuge in Dublin. The matter was finalized with this sentence.
Ian Barry, 44, of Dublin 14, pleaded guilty to coercive control covering 2019‑2022. He verbally abused his wife, calling her names such as 'Adolf' and 'liar', and physically assaulted her by throwing objects, including a toilet roll, a TV remote, an office chair and a finger jab. Barry also exercised financial control, demanding she account for every penny, limiting her spending on a bank card, and insisting she use her part‑time income for groceries. He monitored her movements, using a Ring doorbell camera 32 times in one day after their separation, and observed her from a window while she worked from home. The court heard that he sometimes offered apologies but resumed abusive behaviour. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to a three‑year suspended term, citing mitigating factors and his good record, and warned that future harassment would lead to court action. The sentence was suspended on conditions. The victim's impact statement was not read aloud.
In a case heard by the Workplace Relations Commission, Omar Mohammed Osman, a night manager at Cantarini Limited's City Quay aparthotel, was dismissed after allegations that he bullied a gay colleague, Mr D, for his sexuality. Mr D claimed Osman called him "a big homosexual" and "princess", whistled at him and mocked his accent. Osman denied the allegations, stating he had no issue with homosexuals and that the nickname referred to a female colleague. The tribunal found Osman had been "bullying and harassing a colleague in relation to their sexual orientation and race" and dismissed him. Osman later emailed the HR manager to appeal the dismissal, but the email was not responded to because the recipient had left the company. The WRC ruled that while the dismissal was reasonable, the failure to allow Osman to appeal made it an unfair dismissal, awarding him €3,000 in compensation. The case did not find any protected disclosure or safety‑related claims.
Luke Murphy, 38, was sentenced to five years for threatening to kill his ex‑partner. He is now to be sentenced again for making harassing phone calls from prison in September and October 2019, in which he threatened to burn her house, smash her head, rip her teeth out, torture her, and butcher her when he gets out. The calls were recorded and presented to the court. Murphy pleaded guilty to harassment on 30 September, 1 and 2 October 2019. He has five previous convictions. The court heard he had two boys with the complainant and that he had previously received a five‑year sentence with two years suspended for the same woman. The prosecution was based on circumstantial evidence and the complainant did not give a statement. Judge Elva Duffy adjourned sentencing until July for a probation report.
Erika Gould, 39, of Kilmacud, was sentenced by the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years' imprisonment, with the final two and a half years suspended on strict conditions. The sentence follows her guilty plea for harassing a neighbouring couple from June 2020 to May 2023, during which she shouted threats from her back window, brandished a phone, threatened to petrol‑bomb the house, and made threats against the couple's children. She also threw empty bottles and sticks into their garden and called the fire brigade falsely. Gould has 209 prior convictions, including assault, threats to kill and criminal damage, most of which were alcohol‑related. She was previously jailed in June 2021 and released in October 2021, after which she continued to make threatening calls. The court noted her acute mental‑health diagnosis and ordered her to be supervised by the Probation Services upon release. The sentence reflects her history of harassment and the impact on the victims.
The owners of Ryevale House, an 18th‑century property in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, secured a temporary injunction from the High Court to stop nine named defendants from harassing or intimidating residents, staff or contractors. The injunction was sought after a protester threatened a foreman, saying the water‑connection works would not start unless the contractor was prepared to hit him with a bucket from his digger. The house, which began housing 93 female asylum seekers in March 2023, had a contract with the International Protection Accommodation Services office. The owners argued that protesters had regularly picketed the site, blocked the open space where the new water main was to be installed, and threatened the safety of contractors. The court granted the interim injunction and adjourned the matter to the following week.
Jamie Stalker (37) of Liverpool and Niall Maher (38) of Dublin were jailed for five years, with the last 12 months suspended, after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply. The offence involved 104 kg of cannabis, valued at €2.08 million, found at a Dublin industrial estate. Stalker had travelled from the UK to meet the consignment and was found with a car‑ferry ticket; his phone data suggested he was acting under a third party's direction and his role was to count the drugs. Maher's role was to move the consignment from one location to another. Both men were arrested on 24 May 2023 after a garda surveillance operation. The court noted Stalker's background as a former amateur boxer with bipolar disorder and Maher's 52 prior convictions, including 44 road‑traffic offences.
Patricia Higgins, a part‑time office worker at Cruinniú Bia Ltd, was made redundant after she complained that a tradesman was cutting a hole in the roof above her desk with an angle grinder. Higgins had worked for the company for 14 years, returning from maternity leave in 2017. In May 2022 she reported to a new desk, but a tradesman began cutting a skylight above her. She stayed in place, later moving her equipment each time she was told to relocate. Higgins wrote a health and safety complaint, alleging risk and harassment, and agreed to investigate it formally in July. On 8 August 2022 she was informed of redundancy with no appeal mechanism. The Workplace Relations Commission found the company had breached the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Protection of Employees (Part‑Time Work) Act 2001, awarding her €20,000 in compensation for penalisation and unequal treatment.
Mark McAnaw, 52, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the harassment of Nicola Tallant, Amanda Brunker, and Deirdre Reynolds on various dates in August 2023. The court heard that McAnaw, who has previous convictions including rape and kidnapping, sent explicit and threatening emails to the three women, who are journalists. He also turned up at the Sunday World's office and contacted Ms. Brunker via social media. McAnaw is currently detained in the Central Mental Hospital. The court noted that at the time of the offending, he was not taking his medication. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the case until June 5 to prepare a probation report and obtain an up-to-date psychiatric report. The matter was adjourned and not concluded. McAnaw previously received an eight-year, four-month sentence for an attack in 2018, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years, and was placed under Probation Services supervision. The victims described living in fear due to the threats.
In a High Court decision on 5 March 2025, Bank of Ireland was ordered to pay a €350,000 settlement to a woman and her partner after the bank's data was allegedly released to the woman's estranged father. The father used the confidential transaction data to locate the couple abroad and stalk them, causing psychological trauma. The woman claimed a breach of duty, privacy and confidence, while the bank denied any breach and made no admission of how the data reached the father. The settlement, reached without admission of liability, allocates €275,000 to the woman and €75,000 to her partner. The court also awarded the plaintiffs costs up to 9 October 2023, and noted that cases against the father and his firm could be struck out without costs. The settlement reflects the bank's acknowledgment of falling short of expected standards.
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a woman and her husband were forced to sell their house and relocate after a drugs offender, Graham Potts, harassed them for a supposed cocaine debt owed by their son. Potts, who had a drug debt himself, repeatedly called the couple's home, demanded €3,000, then €6,000, and later €7,000, threatening property damage and claiming the debt was for cocaine. He visited the house, demanded payment, and threatened to call the son's workplace if the son did not comply. The woman reported the harassment to Gardaí, who confirmed no money was extracted and that Potts had no concealed identity or gang links. Potts, with 41 prior convictions, was sentenced to four and a half years' imprisonment, with no backdating of the sentence. The victim impact report noted the family's sale of their home and move away from South Dublin.
Garda Nicholas Keogh, aged 46, has been granted permission by the High Court to pursue a judicial review against the Garda Commissioner over the reduction of his sick pay. Keogh, who joined the force in June 1999, had not taken sick leave until October 2011. He suffered a musculo‑skeletal injury in 2012, followed by periods of alcohol addiction treatment and work‑related stress diagnoses in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He claims that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission failed to address his complaints of bullying, harassment and unfitness for work, and that his salary was reduced during his sick leave. The Disclosures Tribunal in July 2021 found his complaints unjustified, but Keogh seeks to quash the Commissioner's decision to end the special arrangement that allowed him full pay and to have his illness recorded as ordinary illness. Mr Justice Garrett Simons granted leave for the hearing, which is adjourned to 25 March.
Craig Coyle, 37, was sentenced by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for three years, after pleading guilty to threatening to publish intimate images of a woman without consent, to harassment from September to December 2023, and to two trespasses at her home. The offences fall under Coco's Law. Judge Pauline Codd read several abusive emails, describing them as "debasing to all women" and "pornographic in nature." Coyle had previously been captured on security cameras outside the woman's home and had prowled around her residence. He was ordered to have no contact with the victim permanently and to engage with probation services and mental‑health programmes. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the conduct and the impact on the victim, who suffered severe distress and loss of security. The judge noted Coyle's lack of prior convictions and expressions of remorse.
In February 2023, Nkemka Patrick Okachi, a supervisor at Sodexo Ireland Ltd, was dismissed after a client‑company receptionist alleged sexual harassment. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found Sodexo had breached the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 by relying on flawed procedures and hearsay evidence, noting that none of the senior managers who made decisions had seen the CCTV footage of the incident. Okachi claimed he had not seen the woman since before the pandemic, that their conversation was jovial, and that he had only given a one‑shoulder hug because she was in gym clothing. He denied any sexual intent. The WRC ruled the dismissal was unfair, ordered his reinstatement on the same terms as before, and highlighted the lack of objective evidence and the client's refusal to provide CCTV as serious procedural failures. The decision was made in a hearing held in February 2025.
Thomas Greaney, a Galway City Council road sweeper driver, won €25,000 in compensation for disability discrimination after the council failed to make adequate workplace adjustments following his stress and anxiety caused by bullying. The bullying began when a supervisor transferred Greaney to the city's north‑west side in January 2021 and subsequently lodged a series of complaints accusing him of not performing tasks. Greaney reported the harassment and filed a formal grievance on 22 March 2021. An internal investigation in June 2021 upheld two of nine complaints, but the council delayed an independent investigation until April 2022, after the supervisor had returned to work. Greaney's case highlighted ongoing stress, GP visits, and prescribed anxiety medication. The Workplace Relations Commission adjudicator, Jim Dolan, found the council's handling "far too long" and ordered the €25,000 compensation for breach of the Employment Equality Act 1998.
Eimear Carroll, a 42‑year‑old primary school teacher from Offaly, was found guilty of one count of harassment and two counts of sending obscene or menacing letters. She had written about 500 letters over two years, using racist slurs and false allegations that a care worker abused patients. The Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal against a six‑year sentence, confirming the trial judge's decision to impose a headline term of six years with two years suspended. The appeal was rejected because the Court found no error in the sentencing judge's assessment of aggravating factors, including the persistent, targeted nature of the harassment and the use of personal details. The Court also upheld the judge's recognition of mitigating factors such as Carroll's low risk of reoffending and her apology. The decision confirms the severity of the sentence as appropriate for the case.
Raymond McGuire, 40, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, criminal damage and harassment after breaking into his former partner's home in July 2018. He entered the house, attacked the woman in her bedroom, threatened her, and later returned to smash a front‑door pane and punch her. He also sent 54 abusive WhatsApp messages. The court heard that McGuire had been drinking and was in a heightened emotional state. A victim impact report was submitted but not read. Judge Martin Nolan found the incidents a severe lapse in judgment, imposed a two‑year custodial sentence, but suspended it in full and ordered McGuire to pay €4,000 to the victim. The judge stated that the payment would serve as punishment, concluding McGuire did not deserve imprisonment. The case remains at the sentencing stage.
In February 2025, Brendan Burke, a senior project manager at Bretland Contracting Ltd, won €4,159 from the Workplace Relations Commission after a dispute over his dismissal. Burke had sent a mass email on 14 November 2023 to 41 colleagues, praising a new senior manager for dismissing a pregnant employee during probation. The company claimed the email was insubordination, harassment and a disregard for hierarchy. Burke denied prior warnings, noting none were on file. He testified that he was summoned to a meeting on 15 November, where he was told a disciplinary process was underway and that leaving without signing two letters would result in dismissal. Burke said he left the room, was shouted at, and then chased through the office, stripped of his keys, phone, laptop and jacket.
Iulia Andreea Zamfir, a croupier at D1 Club casino, brought a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998 alleging sustained misogyny, sexual harassment, verbal abuse and discrimination. She reported that a poker player threatened to run her over with his car on 6 August 2023, and that her manager responded with a dismissive email saying, "you have a really nice ass, but this is off the record." Zamfir said she had been told to "remember that I don't work in a church" whenever she raised concerns. The Workplace Relations Commission found the casino had failed to investigate the alleged harassment thoroughly and had treated Zamfir's complaints as unprofessional. The tribunal ordered the casino to pay her €7,000 in compensation, to provide sexual‑harassment training, to implement a dignity‑at‑work protocol and to engage a third‑party investigator for future complaints. The case was heard in January 2025.
A man with previous convictions for rape and kidnapping has pleaded guilty to harassing three female journalists at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Mark McAnaw, aged 52 and previously resident in Letterkenny, County Donegal, admitted to three counts of harassment against Sunday World staff members on various dates in August 2023. Judge Martin Nolan ordered the preparation of victim impact statements. McAnaw was remanded in custody pending sentence, scheduled for March 7 next. McAnaw has an extensive criminal history including a nine-year sentence imposed in 2012 for sexually assaulting a student in Donegal in 2010, and a 1989 conviction for kidnapping. He received an eight-year and four-month sentence in June 2023 for a separate assault, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years subject to probation supervision.
Lawyers for Garda analyst Lois West, who was deputy head of the Garda Siochána Analytics Service, have asked the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) adjudicator, Roger McGrath, to step aside. West claims she has suffered ongoing penalisation, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment since testifying to the Oireachtas in 2018 about errors in homicide data. She is pursuing complaints under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Payment of Wages Act 1991 against the Commissioner of An Garda Siochána, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Government. At a hearing, the adjudicator declined to allow a retired senior manager to be summoned as a witness and refused an order for disclosure of correspondence involving West's treating psychologist. West's barrister, David Byrnes, said the client does not accept these decisions and seeks a motion for recusal, arguing an unfair hearing.
Bernard McMahon, a former manager at Hammond Lane Metal Co Ltd, claims he never used a derogatory term against a female co‑worker, saying he only spelled the word out. He told the Workplace Relations Commission that the alleged remark was not meant as harassment and that the incident was a joke. McMahon said he had been dismissed after a complaint was made that he had verbally abused the worker and called her a derogatory term. He argued that the disciplinary process was biased and that he was treated unfairly, citing a lack of proper investigation and the presence of a note‑taker. The tribunal heard evidence over several days, including McMahon's claim that the alleged remark was not used in a derogatory way, and that the company followed fair procedure. The adjudicator will issue a written decision later.
Rhonda Hale and her daughter Zoe Sidhu, who worked briefly at a Supermacs restaurant from 28 August to 5 September 2023, claimed they faced racist hostility and hazing because they were from America. They alleged verbal insults, physical aggression, and exclusion by supervisors, including remarks about their American accents and ethnicity. The women filed complaints under the Employment Equality Act 1998, but the Workplace Relations Commission dismissed the cases. The tribunal found the allegations unreliable and concluded no discrimination had occurred. Supermacs' lawyers argued the incidents never happened, and the company said the employees were dismissed for being unsuitable. Both women were let go after a short period, and no evidence of discrimination or harassment was reported to the company during their employment. The tribunal ruled that the complainants were not discriminated against.
Cahir O'Higgins, a Dublin criminal‑defence solicitor aged 49, was convicted in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of one count of theft and four counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. He denied stealing €400 from a client on 30 July 2016 and denied providing incorrect notes to Gardaí in December 2017. The judge described the conduct as "deranged", "thuggish", "base" and "despicable". O'Higgins had earlier pleaded guilty to assault and harassment of a former employee, for which he received a 16‑month sentence in July. The new sentence, imposed by Judge Martin Nolan, was 27 months, back‑dated to 21 October, with the court noting the seriousness of the perverting‑justice charges and the impact on his reputation. O'Higgins expressed remorse and requested an apology to those affected. The court considered mitigating factors but extended his custodial term accordingly. The case remains at the sentencing stage, with no further verdicts announced.
Eimear Carroll, a 42‑year‑old primary school teacher from Hillside, Seffin, Birr, Offaly, was found guilty of one count of harassment and two counts of sending obscene, grossly offensive or menacing letters by post. Over a two‑year period she sent about 500 letters to the victim's family, friends, workplace and to HIQA, alleging abuse of patients and making repeated racial slurs, referring to the victim as a "knacker". The Court of Appeal heard that the harassment was continuous, involved personal details such as the victim's cousin's death, and caused the victim to sell her house and relocate. Judge Catherine Staines had sentenced Carroll in July to four years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended. Carroll appealed, arguing the sentence was too harsh, but the appeal was not decided in this hearing. The case was noted for its persistent, racially charged nature.
Cahir O'Higgins, a former criminal‑defence solicitor, was found guilty of theft and perverting the course of justice. The court allowed the previously imposed reporting ban on his earlier harassment and assault case to be lifted. O'Higgins had been convicted of assaulting fellow solicitor Stephen O'Mahony, including a 2021 incident in which he broke O'Mahony's nose. He was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment, with the sentence deferred until September to allow him to close his practice. The judge described his conduct as "deranged", "thuggish", "base" and "despicable", noting the harassment stemmed from a professional rivalry. O'Higgins was granted leave to travel to Spain and to compete in the World Cycling Championships before his custodial term began. The case highlights the court's decision to lift the reporting restriction once the theft and perverting the course of justice trial concluded.
Craig Coyle, 37, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to threatening to publish intimate images of a woman and to harassment from September to December 2023, plus two trespasses at her home in December 2023 and January 2024. The offences fall under Coco's Law, which allows fines or up to seven years' imprisonment. Judge Pauline Codd read several abusive emails, describing them as "grotesquely pornographic" and "debasing not only to this woman but all women in general." The woman, who had been a victim of a serious sexual assault, reported that Coyle's behaviour forced her to install a security alarm and cameras, and that she suffered severe mental distress, including nightmares and loss of self‑esteem. Coyle admitted to loitering around her home, sending abusive messages, and catfishing her. He was arrested on 30 January 2024 and admitted the harassment. The case was adjourned to 17 February pending a psychologist's report on his emotionally unstable personality disorder.
In a re‑sentencing hearing, the Court of Appeal found that the Circuit Court had been misinformed about the maximum penalty for Lee Hutchinson, a 41‑year‑old former teacher from Coxtown West, Dunmore East, Waterford. Hutchinson had carried out a four‑year poison‑pen campaign against three Gardaí, sending anonymous handwritten letters with spurious allegations of misconduct, corruption and sexual impropriety to the officers, their families and superiors. The letters were forwarded to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, which deemed the claims unfounded. Hutchinson's original six‑year sentence, with the final year suspended, was quashed because the judge had been told the maximum was ten years instead of the correct seven. The Court of Appeal imposed a new sentence of seven years, with the final two years suspended, to be served consecutively for the three counts of harassment.
Heineken Ireland Ltd was ordered by the Workplace Relations Commission to pay €29,000 to former employee Keith Hackett after a tribunal found that the company's human resources team had failed to consider the "rough‑and‑tumble" culture of its brewhouse when concluding that Hackett had bullied and harassed two colleagues. Hackett had originally sought €90,000 for loss of earnings after being dismissed in October 2022, but the tribunal reduced the figure to €18,000, citing a lack of evidence that he had been offered alternative work or a performance bonus. The tribunal noted that the disciplinary investigations were limited by the terms of reference given by Heineken, which prevented a conclusive finding of bullying or harassment. It also found that a second investigation into alleged mishandling of confidential documents was similarly limited and did not result in findings against Hackett.
The High Court has fixed a trial date of November 19 for a defamation action brought by Cllr Jimmy Guerin against Gemma O'Doherty. Mr Guerin, an independent Fingal County Councillor and brother of the late journalist Veronica Guerin, alleges that Ms O'Doherty defamed him through social media posts and a website video by implying he was a convicted paedophile. Ms O'Doherty, a former Irish Independent journalist, maintains she was referring to her brother, Martin Guerin. In 2019, Martin Guerin pleaded guilty to possession of hundreds of child sexual abuse images and 146 movie files of child pornography, for which he received a two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence. During the procedural hearing before Mr Justice Alexander Owens, Ms O'Doherty described the litigation as part of a six-year campaign of harassment. The judge stated he was doing his best to accommodate her schedule but could not create time that did not exist. Ronan Lupton SC, representing Mr Guerin, confirmed the case was ready to proceed. The matter was adjourned to the fixed trial date, where a judge and jury are expected to hear evidence for up to five days.
The Workplace Relations Commission ordered an unidentified supermarket to pay €6,000 in compensation to a Roma man for racial discrimination and harassment under the Equal Status Act 2000. Adjudicator Thomas O'Driscoll found that the man was refused service on 5 October 2023 based on a stereotype associated with his Roma heritage, rejecting the respondent's claim that he was barred for shouting and calling staff racists. The tribunal concluded the refusal of service constituted discrimination that was not satisfactorily rebutted, and the ejection from the shop amounted to harassment. The adjudicator noted the humiliation suffered in front of the claimant's daughter as an aggravating factor. While the claimant alleged victimisation for filing a previous notice of discrimination on behalf of his wife, the tribunal found no evidence that shop workers knew of this notice, thus rejecting that specific claim. The respondent denied bias, attributing the incident to the claimant's aggressive behaviour, but the adjudicator deemed their evidence unconvincing, particularly regarding the deletion of crucial CCTV footage. In a separate decision, Adjudicator Patsy Doyle awarded €5,000 to an 11-year-old Traveller boy who was refused service at a different shop. The tribunal found the shop failed to prove its policy of not serving unaccompanied under-14s after 6pm was applied consistently, noting receipts showed non-Traveller minors were served without issue. The shop was ordered to ensure its policy is implemented in a non-discriminatory manner. Both decisions were anonymised.
An accountant, Mohammed Nurulain Boda, won over €40,000 in a tribunal decision against Oasis Global Management Company (Ireland) Ltd after he refused to relocate to the UK when the firm closed its Dublin office. The Workplace Relations Commission found that senior executives harassed him, calling him a "lazy bastard" and instructing staff to "f*** him up." Boda's salary was stopped the day he informed the company of his decision, and his network access was cut off two days later. He claimed discrimination on the basis of his Indian nationality. The tribunal awarded €18,000 for a breach of the Employment Equality Act, €7,470 for unpaid bonus and commission, €14,837 for unpaid salary, and a statutory redundancy payment of nearly €12,000 for nine years' service. The decision also directed the company to pay the sums under the Payment of Wages Act 1991.