Basketball Ireland did not know school removed Kenneally in 1987 after abuse allegations

Basketball Ireland was not made aware that jailed sex offender Bill Kenneally had his role as a basketball coach in a Co Waterford school terminated in 1987, a commission investigating the response of State and other agencies to allegations against Kenneally has heard.

Mr Justice Michael White, chair of the State-established commission, said it had heard evidence in private sessions that, when allegations of abuse against Kenneally were made in 1987, he was at that time coaching basketball in De La Salle College secondary school in Waterford.

There was some doubling of players between the school and TF Meagher’s basketball club in Waterford, which Kenneally had founded, the commission heard.

There was “undisputed evidence” that the school principal, Brother Columbo, had been told about the allegations and had immediately terminated Kenneally as a coach in the school, the chairman said.

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There was separate evidence from a complainant that a compromising photograph of a child being abused was produced to the principal, he said.

On Wednesday, John Landy, a solicitor and consultant to Basketball Ireland (BI), designated by it to assist the commission with its work, told Mr Justice White none of that had filtered up to BI and this was the first he had heard of it.

Mr Landy was giving evidence on Wednesday during public hearings of the commission.

[ Jailed sex offender Bill Kenneally to be called before commission of investigation ]

[ Man abused by Bill Kenneally regarded his family as ‘big powerhouse’ in Waterford ]

Kenneally, a former sports coach and accountant now aged 72, of Laragh, Summerville Road, Waterford, is serving prison sentences totalling more than 18 years for abuse of 15 boys on dates ranging between 1979 and 1990.

Some survivors have alleged there was collusion between gardaí, the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore, the former South-Eastern Health Board, BI and unnamed political figures which prevented Kenneally, convicted in 2016, from being arrested and charged years earlier.

A complaint was filed in 2012 by Jason Clancy of being abused as a teenager by Kenneally on dates between 1984 and 1988. In February 2016, after Kenneally pleaded guilty to 10 sample charges of sexually abusing 10 teenage boys in the Waterford area between 1984 and 1987, he was jailed for a total 14 years and two months.

During the case it emerged two senior gardaí in Waterford were informed in 1987 that Kenneally had abused another boy but no formal complaint was made at that stage.

The State-established commission of investigation began work in late 2018 under Mr Justice Barry Hickson and Mr Justice White took over as chair in late 2019 after Mr Justice Hickson retired.

After more charges were brought in 2019 against Kenneally, he pleaded guilty on the sixth day of his trial last May to 13 sample charges in relation to 266 alleged offences involving five boys in locations in Waterford, Cork and Kilkenny between 1978 and 1993.

He was jailed for 4½ years consecutive to his 14-year term.

Until this week, the commission conducted private hearings because vulnerable witnesses were involved and in order not to prejudice the criminal proceedings against Kenneally.

On Wednesday, Mr Landy, involved with basketball since the 1970s, including as a coach, referee and as consultant to BI, read detailed correspondence between BI and the commission.

In response to barrister Barra McGrory, for some victims, he said BI was “disgusted” by what happened concerning Kenneally but had “no way of finding out” and “no one told us that he was an abuser”.

Had it known, BI would have taken the same steps as were taken in 2013 after media reports of allegations concerning Kenneally, he said.

Kenneally was then a coach with Waterford Vikings basketball club and an emergency meeting was called, Mr Landy said. Kenneally was contacted and, after he said the allegations were true, he was told by the chairman he had to resign, which he did the following day, Mr Landy said.

That was the first the club or BI had heard of the abuse, he said. There was no Garda vetting when Kenneally became involved with basketball teams, he said. As well as being a coach with some teams, Kenneally, the commission heard, was, inter alia, manager of the Irish senior men’s basketball team from 1990 to 1998 and team manager, which Mr Landy described as a typically administrative role, for the World Student Games, involving young adults aged over 18, in Sheffield, New York and Tokyo during the 1990s.

Mr Landy said BI, in line with guidance from sport governing bodies, has since 2012 had a child safety officer and requires every club and area to have such an officer. Before that, clubs and areas operated very much independently of BI unless they were involved in national competitions.

In other evidence, Sunday World journalist Eamon Dillon said he had written an article, published on April 28th, 2013, after Kenneally admitted abuse in response to questions from the journalist. He had not spoken to gardaí in connection with his article, he said.

The hearings resume on Monday with evidence from three senior gardaí.