Latest news with #JamesOReilly
BreakingNews.ie
17 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Paedophile sports coach (91) becomes one of the oldest people ever jailed in Ireland
A newspaper article published in February 2007 was the trigger that resulted in former sports coach James O'Reilly, last week becoming one of the oldest individuals ever sent to prison in Ireland at the age of 91 for sexually assaulting four young gymnasts under his care. In the interview, the well-known figure in sporting circles in Arklow, Co Wicklow, through his role as a Community Games organiser and coach of gymnasts and soccer teams, remarked that: 'It my firm belief that they (kids) will not come to any wrong if they are involved in sport.' Advertisement Reading those words proved the incentive for one of O'Reilly's victims to report the abuse she suffered from him to gardaí, whose subsequent investigation established that her experience was far from being unique. At a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court last week, the elderly grandfather, who is blind, partially deaf and confined to a wheelchair, was sentenced to 12 months in prison with Judge Terence O'Sullivan branding the nonagenarian as a 'sexual predator.' Last February, O'Reilly – a widower with two adult children from Fernhill, Arklow, Co Wicklow – pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four young girls in the south Wicklow town over 30 years ago. The admissions by the Mullingar native and retired painter and decorator – one in relation to each of his four victims – were made in front of a jury of seven women and five men who had been sworn in to hear his trial at Bray Courthouse. Advertisement Just 24 hours earlier, O'Reilly had pleaded not guilty before the same jury to a total of eight charges of indecent or sexual assault and one charge of attempted sexual assault at St Mary's College Sports Hall in Arklow in relation to the same four young females whom he trained. The offences occurred on dates unknown between January 1st, 1990 and December 31st, 1994, when the accused ran a club for training gymnasts with his late wife, Sadie, who died in December 2021. Although he became fully blind in 1996, O'Reilly continued to participate in training and organising competitions for the Community Games – a role he began in 1978 – until he stood down just three years ago. In a victim impact statement, the woman who reported O'Reilly after seeing his interview in the Irish Independent said reading it 18 years ago had given her the drive to pursue getting justice. Advertisement She described the article as one which 'glorified' O'Reilly and was all about 'your great deeds which you have done for the children of Arklow.' 'Every cell in my body was repulsed by this interview,' she told the court. Addressing O'Reilly, she stated: 'You were trusted to provide a safe space for me and the other children. You took this power and used it for your own gratification.' She added: 'There are no words to describe the level of fear, embarrassment and shame that I experienced that day.' Advertisement 'The level of fear when you would enter the girls' changing rooms – no child should ever have to experience,' she observed. The woman said that 30 years later, she still has the same fear of being seen and has to hide away in social situations. She outlined how she still instinctively folds her arms and covers her chest 'to this very day,' which she said was the same device she would use to protect herself from O'Reilly as a child. The court heard that the thought of having to stand up as a witness and give evidence in front of a jury had made her physically ill, and she attributed his guilty pleas to 'a stroke of divine intervention.' Advertisement As a mother now of three young girls, the woman explained how she had repeatedly refused requests from one of her daughters to join her friends in gymnastics. 'In my eyes, once you put on a leotard, you became a target,' she commented. The woman, who is now in her 40s, said it was only when her own daughter turned nine that she realised the true extent of what O'Reilly had inflicted on her. She also accused the former coach of robbing her of the joyful experience of parenting because she sensed danger for her own children when there was none, because of the sexual abuse she suffered. 'Due to your actions, my thoughts were that people in authority did not have good intentions,' she remarked. In a separate victim impact statement, another woman (42) said the trauma of what happened never goes away. 'I learned to deal with it as a child, but I never thought I would carry it through to my adult life,' she remarked. She added: 'No person should ever have to go through that sort of trauma or carry that shame through their life because of the actions of another person.' Although the woman welcomed the fact that she had got justice for herself and others, she acknowledged that O'Reilly's age and illnesses would be taken into account in sentencing him. She continued: 'I want to state that my age wasn't taken into account when he chose to lay his hands on me many years ago.' Another of O'Reilly's victims, who was abused when she was about eight, told the court that she had been left 'extremely confused, frightened and ashamed' by what he did to her. The woman said she did not tell any adult about what happened as she did not have the words or understanding at such a young age. 'I knew what O'Reilly had done to me was wrong. I carried the weight of that secret for years,' she added. The court heard that discovering at 16 that she was not O'Reilly's only victim caused her both relief and anger. She continued: 'Relief that I wasn't alone but deep sadness and anger that this had happened to more children; that other adults were aware at the time and that he had been allowed to continue holding positions or respect and influence in our community.' The woman said she found it 'devastating' when O'Reilly was given a 'People of the Millennium' award for his work with children in Arklow. She told the court that she could still describe to this day what the accused's hands look like. 'The experience changed the course of my life. It stole a sense of safety, trust and joy that every child deserves,' she added. She expressed hope that with the court case that O'Reilly's name could be recorded for what he is – 'a prolific abuser of children.' Speaking after O'Reilly was sentenced to 12 months in prison, one of his victims who had told the court she expected he would not be jailed because of his age said it was hard to see an elderly man being wheeled out of court by prison guards. However, she added, 'That same man was not sorry for what he had done to us. He showed absolutely no remorse.' The four victims also said they had been let down by others in Arklow who knew what O'Reilly was doing but who chose to protect him rather than vulnerable young children. Ireland Former gymnastics coach (91) pleads guilty to sexu... Read More 'It's bittersweet. I do feel down, as it was widely known within the community. We were just little girls, and people chose to turn a blind eye,' said one woman. 'I don't feel like this is a celebration, but we finally got our justice,' she observed. O'Reilly, who was born on New Year's Day in 1934, is likely to mark his 92nd birthday in prison. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape C ri sis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape C ri sis Help .
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Huddle House Announces A Brand Renovation for A New Generation of Guests
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2025-- Huddle House , the iconic family dining brand known for its freshly prepared, home-style dishes served All Day, Your Way for 60 years, is undergoing a transformative evolution to better serve its loyal guests. Under the leadership of CEO James O'Reilly and Chief Operating Officer Blain Shortreed, the brand unveils a reimagined brand identity and positioning based on months of guest research, new menu innovation improving on the quality of core products for current guests and developing new products for new guests, and a trio of new restaurant prototypes to accelerate the brand's geographic expansion. 'As we celebrate 60 incredible years, we lay the foundation for the next 60 in a big way, stepping confidently into our evolution,' said James O'Reilly , CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, the parent company of Huddle House. 'This new chapter, driven by extensive customer research and a refined brand positioning, reflects our commitment to meet the needs of today's diners while staying true to our core values.' Huddle House introduces a redesigned logo that modernizes the iconic 'HH"—a nod to the signature imprint on every fresh-cooked waffle—blending 60 years of heritage with a contemporary edge. Paired with the new tagline, 'Bring it In,' Huddle House reaffirms its role as a welcoming hometown gathering spot, delivering high-quality food, personalized service, and unbeatable value. This transformation is a full reimagining of the guest experience, designed to elevate what current fans love while also appealing to a broader, younger audience. Transforming the Huddle House Experience: New Restaurant Designs At the heart of Huddle House's transformation is a bold redesign of Huddle House restaurants, crafted to maintain the brand's welcoming heart while attracting new and younger guests. Studio 11 Design leads this redesign, balancing Huddle House's timelessness with contemporary dining expectations. In addition to a totally redesigned and improved new small-town mainline restaurant, Huddle House has also developed two new restaurant concepts designed to accelerate growth in urban, suburban, and non-traditional settings. The QSR conversion format focuses on drive-thru and walk-up ordering, catering to busy urban and suburban areas with a menu packed with Huddle House classics and portable options like sandwiches, burgers, burritos, and waffle tacos. This prototype will be piloted with a select group of franchisees. The Huddle House Non-traditional format targets high-traffic locations such as airports, colleges, malls, and travel centers. The Non-traditional concept is designed for convenience, with portable, off-premise dining options in a smaller space of 500 to 1,200 square feet. 'The new store design will serve as the blueprint for our future locations, while the Non-traditional model allows us to enter new markets with a smaller footprint and reduced operational costs, all while meeting the demand for faster service,' said Blain Shortreed , President for Huddle House. 'We want to be able to plug and play beyond the Southeast and target a wider range of communities.' Menu Innovation After 18 months of rigorous development and testing, Huddle House is currently rolling out significant upgrades to its core offerings—a key pillar of its transformation. Guests can now enjoy the new soft and buttery Southern Country Biscuit, all-new crispy and juicy Chicken Tenders, the new Huddle Smashburger, a reimagined Huddle burger with a soft buttery potato bun, and all-new crispy crinkle fries. These enhancements, part of the brand's 'Innovate - Elevate - Communicate' strategy, underscore Huddle House's commitment to quality and flavor. Leading the development and communication of these initiatives is Huddle House's new VP of Marketing, Stephanie Mattingly, who will spearhead the marketing of these and future menu innovations. 'We're thrilled to share these improvements to our core products with our guests,' Mattingly says. 'It's about celebrating what makes Huddle House special while inviting everyone to taste the exciting future of our brand.' Guests and Data Agree: Huddle House Leads the Pack The proof is in the numbers. Full-year 2024 Blackbox guest feedback data reveals Huddle House outperformed all peer competitors in the family dining category on overall guest sentiment. This is a testament to the brand's focus on exceptional experiences and strong franchise partnerships. Fresh off a record-breaking year with the highest number of new franchise development signings in its history, Huddle House is riding this wave of guest love to accelerate its growth trajectory into 2025 and beyond. 'We're elevating every touchpoint for our guests, from the food on their plates to the way they feel when they walk through our doors,' says Blain Shortreed, Chief Operating Officer of Ascent Hospitality Management, who oversees operations for both Huddle House and Perkins. 'Our company and franchise teams have worked tirelessly to make Huddle House a standout in family dining, and these results show we're delivering.' To learn more about franchising opportunities with Huddle House, visit . For locations and menu, visit or follow them on social @HuddleHouse. About Huddle House All Day, Your Way. Huddle House shares that spirit of hometown togetherness, creating that warm atmosphere where everyone feels welcome. Huddle House has been serving freshly prepared, quality home-style food since 1964. We're the champions of enjoying big without spending big because at Huddle House, flavor, fun, and value always go hand in hand. Huddle House Inc. is an Ascent Hospitality Management brand with nearly 300 locations open or in development. It has been named one of the Top 200+ Franchises by Franchise Times , ranked among Thrillist's list of ' Regional Breakfast Chains that Should Be Everywhere ,' and named a Top 500 Chain Restaurant by Restaurant Business . Facebook: Instagram: View source version on CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT: Brianne Barbakoff [email protected] 305.631.2283 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA GEORGIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL RESTAURANT/BAR FOOD/BEVERAGE SOURCE: Perkins American Food Co. Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/06/2025 08:34 AM/DISC: 05/06/2025 08:33 AM
