Two brothers who were defamed by the chairman of the Kilkenny hunt have been awarded damages of €30,500 in the Circuit Court.
The defamation action was taken by Norman Daniels and Hubert Daniels, Rathielty, Rathmoyle, Co Kilkenny, against Edward Norris, Danesrath, Knocktopher, Co Kilkenny.
Judge Thomas Teehan, in his judgment at Kilkenny Circuit Court, said yesterday he accepted evidence that Mr Norris that used the words “pair of paedophiles” when looking towards the brothers during a hunt on November 12th, 2004.
Mr Norris had told the court that he did say the brothers were “acting like a pair of paedophiles” during the hunt but he did not say they were paedophiles and he did not believe they were paedophiles.
The brothers had been filming the activities of the hunt whenever it passed near their land in case any damage was done to their property.
Judge Teehan had recommended that an intermediary, possibly an official from the Irish Farmers’ Association respected by both sides, intervene to try and resolve the dispute.