The Irish Mail on Sunday and Irish Daily Mail newspapers have apologised before the High Court to a Dublin businessman after wrongly referring to him to as a convicted drug dealer in reports published about the funeral of RTÉ broadcaster Gerry Ryan.
In a statement read by counsel in court today, Associated Newspapers, publisher of the two newspapers, unreservedly apologised to Aidan Cosgrave.
The statement said Mr Cosgrave is not a convicted drug dealer and has never dealt in drugs and the newspapers apologised for the injury to his reputation and for the distress and embarrassment caused to him.
Mr Cosgrave (55) of Londonbridge Road, Sandymount, Dublin had sued Associated Newspapers (Ireland ) Ltd after the Irish Mail on Sunday and the Irish Daily Mail published reports on December 12th and 13th 2010 about the funeral of the RTE broadcaster.
The articles were published in the context of the controversy surrounding the finding of the inquest into the death of Gerry Ryan on April 30th, 2010.
When the case was called before Mr Justice Eamon deValera yesterday, Frank Callanan SC, for Mr Cosgrave, instructed by solicitor Robert Dore, told the judge it had been resolved and an apology from Associated Newspapers was to be read to the court.
The apology stated one of the reports which was published was headed ‘Convicted drugs dealer was at Gerry’s funeral’.
This report, the apology stated, was illustrated by a photograph of Aidan Cosgrave present as a friend of Gerry Ryan as a mourner at the funeral and who was said, in both articles, to be a convicted drug dealer.
“Mr Cosgrave is not a convicted drug dealer and has never dealt in drugs,” the apology stated. “Any suggestion from our reports that Mr Cosgrave had supplied cocaine to Gerry Ryan that might have contributed to his death or otherwise is wholly unfounded,” it added.
“We unreservedly apologise to Mr Cosgrave for the injury to his reputation and for the distress and embarrassment caused to him,” the apology stated.
Mr Justice Eamon deValera was told the case could be struck out.
In his proceedings, Mr Cosgrave said he was a close personal friend of the late RTÉ broadcaster, was deeply distressed about his untimely death and had attended the funeral as a mourner.