Councillors settle ‘scumbag’ defamation action in court

A defamation action, brought by one city councillor against another, was settled out of court this evening at Galway Circuit Civil Court.

The action was brought by Cllr Padraig Conneely (Fine Gael) against Cllr Michael Crowe (Fianna Fáil) for referring to him as a “scumbag” in an email he sent to fellow councillors and Council officials on June 3, 2015.

Mr Alan Ledwith, BL, for Cllr Conneely, indicated to the President of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, this morning that the matter would be proceeding to a full hearing, which could take two-and-a-half hours.

However, following lengthy, behind-the-scenes talks between legal teams for both parties, Mr Ledwith returned to the court at 4pm this evening and said the matter had been resolved.

Ms Deirdre Browne, BL, defending, said the parties had agreed the defamation action could be struck out against Cllr Crowe before she read out a public apology on behalf of Cllr Crowe to the court.

It stated: “I apologise unreservedly for referring to Cllr Conneely as a scumbag in an email I sent to my Council colleagues and Council officials on 3rd June, 2015, and sincerely regret any hurt and distress caused, both in a public and private capacity.”

“My compliments to the parties for resolving this in a sensible way,” Mr Justice Groarke said, before striking the matter out.

Afterwards, Cllr Conneely said: “I’m very pleased that I have been vindicated in the court today.  My reputation is now fully intact.  A remark made – sent in an email by Cllr Crowe to Council officials and my councillor colleagues – describing me as a “scumbag” . . . that he has fully apologised for that and my reputation, both as a public representative and a private individual, was fully vindicated by the court today.”

Asked what damages he might have received from Cllr Crowe, following his public apology in court,  Cllr Conneely was adamant the defamation action was never about money.

“This was never about damages, this was about my reputation, both as a public figure and as a private individual and I was vindicated in that today with a full public apology,” he said.