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Irish Times
04-08-2025
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, August 4th: On a dangerous time to be a woman, landlords and rent, and President Trump's favour
Sir, – Three times over the past week I have watched news reports on women survivors of physical, sexual, emotional and psychological violence perpetrated by trusted males, some of them close family members. I heard sisters Paula Fay and Catherine Wrightstone describe the lifelong sentence of emotional pain, broken trust, and struggle to reclaim self-worth that their brother inflicted upon them. I heard Niamh Herbert talk about the feeling of giving a piece of herself away on every step of her path to justice. I heard Nikita Hand say that the legal case has retraumatised her over and over again. And I listened as each one of these brave women encouraged others who have experienced similar abuse to speak out, reminding them that they have strength within, that their voice matters and that justice can eventually prevail. READ MORE All this, as the horrific news about the killing of Vanessa Whyte and her two children unfolded over the week. At what stage do we call a halt to the head-shaking, the hand-wringing, the repeated expressions of shock and bewilderment and acknowledge the fact that Ireland is not a safe place to be female? Why are we not collectively howling from the rafters at the violence, the depravity, the pervasive level of threat that is endemic in our society today? How many more women must be traumatised, brutalised or even die, how many more candlelit vigils take place before we take educational and legislative steps to ensure that this stops now? To position ourselves in the world as a liberal democratic state, and to uphold the values of such, presumes a basic equity among citizens. Have we fallen at this first step? – Yours, etc, CAROLANNE HENRY, Churchtown, Dublin 14. Landlords and rental income Sir, – If the article written by Dr Lorcan Sirr was an essay for one of his own economic courses with the title 'What do landlords actually earn?' I think he'd get a D at best. It's a scattergun attack on landlords premised by the claim that we're all part of a secret club milking it. The only actual earnings quoted are general income which include the salary from a job or business. I'm one of the small landlords he's trying to vilify. Not having the luxury of a defined benefit pension from a taxpayer's funded job, the properties are my pension. When the ECB increased rates recently the repayments on one property increased from €1,200 a month to €1,650, while because of rent controls my rent was stuck at €1,100. And yes those figures are correct, a pre-2008 property. There are plenty of landlords who aren't creaming it. – Yours, etc, CHARLES McLAUGHLIN, Portobello, Dublin 8. Is Trump doing us a favour? Sir, – The Department of Finance feels that up to 70,000 fewer jobs will be created over the next five years as a result of the US tariffs as these tariffs will result in a reduction of economic activity of roughly 1.5 per cent (' US tariffs will mean 70,000 fewer jobs created in Irish economy, Department of Finance warns ,' August 1st). However, we have been informed that our economy is operating at full employment (full employment equates with 4 per cent unemployment), our population has increased by 20 per cent over the past five years resulting in an acute shortage of housing, huge waiting lists for medical treatment, a shortage of school places and lastly our infrastructure is incapable of catering for our expanding population. So perhaps Trump has come to our rescue after all? – Yours, etc, JO TRESTON, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Sir, – The report that Department of Finance officials warned that up to 70,000 fewer jobs will be created in the next five years due to US tariffs should not be a cause for concern. The solution can be found by copying the action of president Trump last Friday when the Bureau of Labour Statistics revealed higher unemployment numbers. He simply sacked the commissioner, to be replaced by someone who will alter the figures in his favour! – Yours, etc, GERARD CLARKE, Dundrum, Dublin. Policing the traffic and gardaí Sir, – Regarding 'S ome frontline gardaí expressed lack of interest in doing their jobs, review finds ,' (August, 1st). Yesterday, I was almost knocked to the ground by a passing scooter on the pedestrianised South King Street, close to Grafton Street. I then noticed the scooter turning left down Grafton Street. As I approached the top of Grafton Street, I noticed two gardaí on duty, observing the throngs of people down along Grafton Street. I brought the matter of the scooter to their attention. Yes, they had seen it go down Grafton Street, and further, scooters are going up and down the street all day. Surprised at this ready acceptance of this situation, there was more to follow; 'And we can't do anything about it,' they said. Startled by this, I reminded them that what they were observing was an act of law-breaking. I got the same answer about not being able to do anything to stop it. In frustration, I terminated the conversation, leaving them to continue their important job of observing the laws of the land being blatantly ignored in front of their eyes. – Yours, etc, EAMON O'FLYNN, Merrion Road, Dublin 4. Bargain cycling lanes Sir, – Rita O Brien (Letters, July 31st) claims that the ¤45 million spent on the Dundrum to Dún Laoghaire cycle lane is a bargain since the users will not be expected to pay a cent in road tax, insurance or licensing. By this reasoning, will all cyclists, pedestrians and EV drivers be exempt from any share in the massive fine coming our way due to massively exceeding our carbon budgets? – Yours, etc, COLETTE McNAMEE, Dublin 19. Sir, – Roads in Ireland are funded by the exchequer. Most taxes in the State are paid into the exchequer (income, VAT, etc). There is no 'road tax', although there is a 'motor tax' levied on most motorised vehicles. These funds also go to the exchequer. Since almost everyone pays some tax, everyone contributes to the cost of road construction (including cycle lanes) even if they don't drive or cycle. Introducing requirements such as motor tax, licensing, etc, for cyclists would dramatically reduce the rate of cycling, with the attendant negative effects on traffic congestion, public health, climate change, traffic congestion and so on. Whether or not the ¤45 million cost represents value for money is a different issue. – Yours, etc, CONALL DORAN, Co Sligo. Sir, – With reference to Rita O'Brien's letter, I wish to inform your correspondent that as a motorist I do not pay a cent in road tax. I do however pay motor tax, based on the CO2 emissions of my car, to offset the environmental impact of my car. As for insurance, that's paid to a private company that has nothing to do with the provision of transport infrastructure. Let's make cycling as difficult as possible to stop the indignity of motorists sitting in a traffic jam having to watch cyclists sail by. – Yours, etc, DECLAN RYAN, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7. A generous offer Sir, –Frank McNally, Irishman's Diary (August 1st), writes about his annual jaunt to Ballybrit, bemoaning the lack of breakfast at his digs. I hereby offer him a bed with the full Irish for 2026 on condition he doesn't write about it! – Yours, etc, ANNE MARIE KENNEDY, Craughwell, Co Galway. Asylum and statistics Sir, – Nick Henderson of the Irish Refugee Council, in rebutting Senator Michael McDowell's suggestion that many asylum applicants are economic migrants, states that 'The data does not support this claim,' (Letters, July 31st). The only statistic he provides is that 60 per cent of asylum applications this year have been refused. He subjectively concludes that these were refused on technicalities such as insufficient paperwork, but that they were genuine asylum seekers. He then partly attributes blame for the IPA accommodation crisis to McDowell himself, as he did nothing about it during his five years as minister for justice. McDowell ceased in that role 18 years ago. I know we ideally want far-sighted politicians, but expecting clairvoyance is not realistic. – Yours, etc, DAVE SLATER, Kilkea, Co Kildare. Not so bonny photograph Sir, – I am in accord with Finn McRedmond's opinions in her Bonnie Blue article – apart perhaps from this being the best time to be alive (' Bonnie Blue: Why the free-sex 'content creator' is nauseating and wrong ,' July 31st) But why on earth is the article illustrated with a large, unavoidable and rather silly picture of Miss Blue? The Irish Times isn't social media and should avoid the 'Oh you are awful, tell me more' redtop vibe. Why publicise this person's image? Please, Irish Times remember your journalistic standards! – Yours, etc, MAIRIDE WOODS, Dublin 13. Filler thriller Sir, – I always smile when I turn over to the Letters page and see a smattering of short ones or 'fillers' as I like to call them. You just can't beat an eclectic and diverse mix of opinions. – Yours, etc, DEE DELANY, Raheny, Dublin 5. Germ supporter Sir, – Recent correspondence on our immune system and germs (Letters, July 31st and August 1st) reminded me of an expression often used by my late mother. When, as children, my brothers and I would often arrive home from an evening exploring in the fields or scrambling through the nearby woods stained from top to toe with soil and any other detritus that came our way and she would smile saying it was just 'clean dirt'. Looking back it's clear she knew the importance of beneficial bacteria and of building a robust immune system. Her philosophy has stood me in good stead to this day. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater in an obsessive desire to cleanse our environment of all germs, be they good or bad. – Yours, etc, PAT MULLEN, Kilkerley, Co Louth.
Irish Times
30-07-2025
- Irish Times
‘Justice has been done': Brother jailed for raping sister when she was a child
A woman who reported her older brother for abusing and raping her when she was a child as she feared that he would harm others has said 'justice has been done' after he was jailed for 2½ years on Wednesday. Niamh Herbert (41) waived her right to anonymity at a sentencing hearing for her brother Emmett Baylor (47) at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork. In a victim impact statement, Ms Herbert recalled sitting outside Garda stations in 2018, 'willing herself to find the courage and strength to walk inside' to report the harm inflicted on her when she was aged between six and nine years old. Baylor of Hilltop, Youghal, Co Cork, was found unanimously guilty last month on a number of charges including sexual assaults, indecent assaults and oral rapes. READ MORE Det Garda Yvonne Cashman said that the offences occurred when Baylor was aged 13 to 16. Det Garda Cashman said that Baylor lost his job at sea with Irish Lights following his conviction. Ms Herbert last week presented her own victim impact statement from the witness box. She described delivering the statement as being 'painful' in nature. 'There are no words to sum up a lifetime of damage, but I have to try. 'I was just a little girl when you started to abuse me, and made me a victim. You trapped me for years in a cycle of fear and terror. 'Countless nights I lay in bed frozen in fear, counting footsteps, terrified of what might come next and those memories haunt me to this day. 'The terror didn't stop when the sexual abuse ended. I still grieve for the childhood and youth you stole from me, for the years of innocence and joy I will never get back.' Ms Herbert said she turned to drugs and alcohol at the age of 13 to 'numb the pain and quiet the torture' in her mind. Ms Herbert said Baylor turned to lies and manipulation to try to gain sympathy to serve himself. 'I am a grown woman now and you can't hurt me any more,' she said. Ms Herbert thanked all of the professionals who worked on the case, including Det Garda Cashman. She also thanked her husband Paul, brother Martin and friends for their support as well as the jury for believing her. Defence senior counsel, Alice Fawsitt, said that her client was as young as 12 when the offences on which he was convicted started. Baylor received a character reference from his father Brendan. The court heard that Ms Herbert and her brother Baylor were adopted. In sentencing Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford said the evidence given by Ms Herbert was compelling in nature. She said Baylor had stolen the childhood of Ms Herbert in what should have been a period of 'innocence and joy'. Ms Justice Lankford said a larger custodial sentence would have been imposed on an adult for the same offences. However, Baylor was a young teenager when a large amount of the offending behaviour occurred. Ms Justice Lankford jailed Baylor for 2½ years and said there was no basis for a further reduction given the failure of the accused to accept the jury's verdict. He was also placed on the sex offenders register. Speaking outside the court, Ms Herbert said that she felt 'lighter' having received justice for the abuse she had been subjected to by her brother. She called on others in her position to contact gardaí or to speak to someone. 'Anyone who has been in my shoes or is living with it at the moment, it is very difficult to take that step to come forward. It was always on my mind and I was waiting to build up the courage to do it,' she said. 'The guards will be there for you. I'd like to say to anybody: if I can do it, you can do it. You have everything inside of you. Speak out, tell somebody and they will listen to you.' 'You deserve to live a peaceful life,' she added.
Irish Examiner
30-07-2025
- Irish Examiner
'You will be heard,' says Cork woman as her brother is jailed for raping her as a child
A 47-year-old man who sexually abused and later raped his younger sister when he was aged between 12 and 16 was jailed for two-and-a-half years on Wednesday. As Emmett Baylor was jailed, his sister Niamh Herbert encouraged people who were victims of such crimes to talk to the gardaí or, if they did not want to pursue the matter legally, to talk to a doctor or a counsellor or their local Rape Crisis Centre. 'If I can do it, you can do it, you have everything you need inside of you. Speak out, tell somebody, they will listen to you and there is support out there. You will be heard,' Ms Herbert said. Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said of Emmett Baylor: 'The first offence was committed when he was 12 and had just turned 16 when it finished. He was an emotionally immature teenager. Maturity and the developmental reality of the accused have to be taken into consideration.' Setting the headline sentence at seven years, which would have been set for an adult committing the crimes, this was halved because he was a juvenile and further reduced by another year because he had not come to adverse attention in the 30 years since it happened. His name now goes on the Sex Offenders Register. Concluding the sentencing, Ms Justice Lankford said: 'Sentence on an adult would be more significant. Bearing in mind his age at the time, the sentence of two-and-a-half years is appropriate.' Speaking after the sentencing, Niamh Herbert said: 'I was just a young girl when Emmet Baylor trapped me in a cycle of fear and abuse and made me a victim. I have lived with the pain and shame and have carried the secret for years. 'This journey for justice has been one of the most difficult times of my life. It feels like you have to give away a piece of yourself every step of the way. And there are days when you have no more to give. But I am glad I kept going. "I stand here today not as a victim but as a strong woman who has got her long overdue justice. The jury gave me justice when they came back with the guilty verdict. Thank you for believing in me. 'The power of naming the person who abused me - naming the person who should be carrying that shame and taking that shame off of my shoulders. To anyone who has been harmed by another person let me tell you that you are strong, that you have everything inside of you to keep going – speak your truth, people will listen, people will support you and you will be believed. Thanking the Victim Support at Court Service, the gardaí and in particular, Detective Garda Yvonne Cashman, Ms Herbert said she had an overwhelmingly supportive response since she waived her anonymity last week. She also recalled on Wednesday sitting in her car outside garda stations trying to find the courage to report on what had happened to her from the age of six at the hands of her brother Emmett Baylor, and said that the guards will be there for people who make their complaint. Asked about the feeling she had today as the sentencing was concluded, she said: 'It is not a celebratory type of feeling but I feel lighter, I feel that justice has been served. And I know that not everybody gets as far as me – they don't all get the case brought to court, they don't get the verdict of guilty. I am leaving here, fulfilled, with justice having been served. Detective Garda Yvonne Cashman said sexual assaults and rapes were carried out on occasions when Ms Herbert was aged from six to nine, and Baylor was 13 to 16, the age difference between brother and sister being just over six years. The rapes occurred in the latter part of this three-year period. Emmett Baylor 's name now goes on the Sex Offenders Register. Photo: Facebook They were both adopted. Their father gave a character reference for his son. Det. Garda Cashman said Emmett Baylor, aged 47, worked with Irish Lights, but had lost his job as a result of this case. He is not married and does not have children. Defence senior counsel, Alice Fawsitt, said the defendant did not accept the guilty verdict of the jury. She asked for as much leniency as possible.
BreakingNews.ie
30-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Woman who reported brother for childhood rape says justice has been done with sentence
A woman who reported her older brother for abusing and raping her when she was a child, as she feared that he would harm others, has said that `'justice has been done' after he was jailed for two and a half years on Wednesday. Niamh Herbert (41) waived her right to anonymity at a sentencing hearing for her brother Emmett Baylor (47) at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork on Wednesday. Advertisement In a victim impact statement, Ms Herbert recalled sitting out at garda stations in 2018, 'willing herself to find the courage and strength to walk inside' to report the harm inflicted on her when she was aged between six and nine years old. Mr Baylor of Hilltop, Youghal, Co Cork was found unanimously guilty last month on a number of charges, including sexual assaults, indecent assaults and oral rapes. Det Garda Yvonne Cashman said that the offences occurred when Mr Baylor was aged 13 to 16. The rapes occurred in the latter half of that three-year period. Det Garda Cashman said that Mr Baylor lost his job at sea with Irish Lights following his conviction. Advertisement Ms Herbert last week presented her own victim impact statement from the witness box. She described delivering the statement as being 'painful' in nature. 'There are no words to sum up a lifetime of damage, but I have to try. "I was just a little girl when you started to abuse me, and made me a victim. You trapped me for years in a cycle of fear and terror. "Countless nights I lay in bed frozen in fear, counting footsteps, terrified of what might come next, and those memories haunt me to this day. Advertisement "The terror didn't stop when the sexual abuse ended. I still grieve for the childhood and youth you stole from me, for the years of innocence and joy I will never get back. "Your abuse was calculated. You knew exactly what you were doing, and you knew it was wrong. I carried your secret for years. "The shame, the blame, the unbearable weight of your crime was sat on my shoulders.' Ms Herbert said she turned to drugs and alcohol at the age of 13 to 'numb the pain and quiet the torture' in her mind. Advertisement 'I was angry and empty, drinking to blackout, crying myself to sleep. I would wrap my scarves around my face, put my head inside my pillowcase and hope I wouldn't wake up in the morning. "I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had lived in safe and loving home, but I'll never know. "Due to your abuse, I have suffered with anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, panic attacks, and sensory distress. "From 2018 onwards, I spent many nights parked outside the Garda station, willing myself to find the courage and strength to walk inside and tell them what you had done to me. Advertisement "In the end, it wasn't courage or strength that made me take that step. It was guilt. The crushing fear that you might be hurting other children. I knew I would never truly rest unless I spoke out. I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't.' Ms Herbert said that Mr Baylor turned to lies and manipulation to try to gain sympathy to serve himself. 'I am a grown woman now, and you can't hurt me anymore. "I would like to thank the jury for believing me, bringing justice through a guilty verdict. "I will finally have peace knowing I did everything I could to speak the truth. I hope that from this day forward Emmet Baylor will never have the opportunity to harm another person again.' Ms Herbert thanked all of the professionals who worked on the case, including Det Garda Cashman. She also thanked her husband Paul, brother Martin and friends for their support as well as the jury for believing her. Defence senior counsel, Alice Fawsitt, said that her client was as young as 12 when the offences on which he was convicted started. She indicated that he had emotional difficulties at that time. Mr Baylor received a character reference from his father Brendan. The court heard that Niamh and her brother Emmett were adopted. The offending occurred at the family home in Youghal. Ms Herbert waived her right to anonymity. Prosecution senior counsel Ray Boland referred to a recent Supreme Court case and said there was no legal prohibition to identifying Emmett Baylor. In sentencing, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford said that the evidence given by Ms Herbert was compelling in nature. She said that Mr Baylor had stolen the childhood of Ms Herbert in what should have been a period of 'innocence and joy.' Ms Justice Lankford said that a larger custodial sentence would have been imposed on an adult for the same offences. However, Mr Baylor was a young teenager when a large amount of the offending behaviour occurred. She noted that the accused had been a 'useful' member of society and had no previous convictions other than for road traffic offences. Ms Justice Lankford also said she was cognisant of his 'emotional immaturity' at the time, having been furnished with a report from a psychologist which dated back to his teenage years. Ms Justice Lankford jailed Mr Baylor for two and a half years, and said that there was no basis for a further reduction given the failure of the accused to accept the jury verdict. He was also placed on the sexual offenders register. Speaking outside the court, Ms Herbert said that she felt 'lighter' having received justice for the abuse that she had been subjected to by her brother. She called on others in her position to contact gardai or to speak to a GP or a counsellor if unable to face reporting the matter. 'Anyone who has been in my shoes or is living with it at the moment, it is very difficult to take that step to come forward. It was always on my mind, and I was waiting to build up the courage to do it. It was Youghal Garda Station. I was driving and driving and thinking about it and eventually I took that step to go and tell the guards. The guards will be there for you. I'd like to say to anybody if I can do it you can do it. You have everything inside of you. Speak out, tell somebody and they will listen to you. "There is no limitation on crimes as heinous as these, and it's never too late to go. You can still get support without coming forward (to gardaí). You deserve to live a peaceful life.' If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help.
