Ó Lubhlaí may have been part of paedophile group

Disgraced teacher Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí may have been part of a Westmeath paedophile group, according to a local source.

Following last week’s story in the Westmeath Examiner, the paper received a phonecall from a member of the public who alleged that the former teacher and television presenter, who died on March 20 in his Mullingar home, consorted with a number of local paedophiles.

While a garda spokesperson in Mullingar told the paper last week that there were no allegations of any wrongdoing by Ó Lubhlaí relating to Westmeath or Mullingar, the source said that they would be surprised if victims do not come forward in the coming months. “You just don’t know what will come out.”

Ó Lubhlaí was reportedly on bail at the time of his death in March following a case brought against him by a former pupil dating from the 1970s. According to a senior garda source, he was a “most obnoxious” individual and talked down to officers.

Last Wednesday Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan announced that the force’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit based in Dublin is to review all of the allegations of abuse against the Clonkill native, the earliest of which date back to 1955.

It is believed that former soldier and convicted IRA member Ó Lubhlaí, who was described in an obituary as a ‘Gaeilgeoir, teacher, educationalist, author and republican’, could have abused more than 100 boys at locations around Ireland.
Despite being the subject of a number of garda investigations following allegations of abuse, he was never convicted.

Welcoming the news that the gardaí are to review Ó Lubhlaí’s files are to be reviewed, CEO of paedophile victims’ support group CARI Mary Flaherty said that Ó Lubhlaí’s story shows that the “best place to hide is in plain sight of the public”.

“Myths about abusers assist them in the grooming process and the more respectable the organisation, the more valuable to a predator as a hiding place,” she continued.

Meanwhile, this paper also received an allegation regarding a prominent figure in Mullingar who has worked closely with children for decades.

According to our source, two alleged victims, one male and one female, made allegations to the authorities but he has so far escaped prosecution.

The male, who was allegedly abused in the early 1980s, reportedly went to gardaí in recent years. However, as he has a criminal record, he was not deemed a trustworthy witness.

The other alleged victim, who was allegedly assaulted in the late ’70s, went to the authorities shortly afterwards but was reportedly told by a senior figure in the community not to pursue the case, as the man did “more good than bad”.

Ó Lubhlaí dedicated 1983 award to children

In 1983 Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí received the Padraig Pearse Award, one of the highest honours available to Irish speakers.

During his acceptance speech at a function in Cultúrlann na hÉireann, the Monkstown headquarters of Comhaltas, Ó Lubhlaí said that his “greatest reason” of pride was his “choice of area in which to work in the Irish language movement”.

“This choice was to work with the young. They are always hopeful. The words ‘the game is lost’ are not in their vocabulary.

“The concept of cynicism is unknown to them. Their energy is boundless.

“Throughout our history, they have advanced the cause. They have never let me down. I believe that the main reason I was selected for this award is the recent upsurge of youth activity in the national movement.

"Therefore my award is to be presented symbolically to them.”