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Irish Independent
27-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Cork Liverpool fan describes ‘moments of panic' as car ploughed into crowd of supporters, injuring 47 people
John Isherwood, a broadcaster with Cork's Red FM originally from the UK, was in Liverpool over the weekend for the festivities and was among the hundreds of thousands who took to the streets of Liverpool for an open-top bus parade of the Premier League trophy. Witnesses to the incident have said the bus had only just passed by the scene of where the car drove into the crowd. Merseyside Police have said a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area was arrested. Mr Isherwood said he is still 'a little bit shook up' after witnessing the incident which left 47 people injured, including four children. 'I managed to sleep through the night, but the thought of it all and the images of what I saw in front of me are still very much in my mind,' he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. 'I was quite near the Liver Building for the actual parade itself, and I'd lost all my friends at this point, walked back towards Water Street and we were all quite jubilant. 'The area was buzzing with life until we got on to Water Street and literally as we turned on to it, it was directly opposite us. There was a static ambulance, and it was moments, literal seconds of panic, as this car just came out of nowhere. 'And it seemed to either hit the ambulance – I'm trying to piece it together from other eyewitness reports I've seen – It seemed to either hit the ambulance and catch someone between it and the ambulance and then reversed and headed off down Wall Street itself.' Mr Isherwood said he and his friends then rushed to a person on the ground and others around them were 'panicking', and they 'couldn't believe' what they had seen take place. He said it took just seconds for emergency services to arrive with an ambulance already at the scene and police not far behind. 'It was a very, very rapid response and our concern was for the person who was immediately in front of us on the floor, who did look in a fairly bad state. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more 'But as soon as we saw that the crews were there, we backed off and tried to disperse as many people as possible, get out of the way, give the crews the space to work. 'And then we heard the commotion from further down the street and sort of saw the car weaving around so. I said to another friend, we saw way too much of something that should never have happened.' There was an outpouring of offers of support from people in Liverpool on social media yesterday and Mr Isherwood, who lost a friend in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, said the city of Liverpool has come together following the incident 'just as it has done in the past'. 'I lost a close family friend at Hillsborough who was known in my local town, his family owned the green grocers, and the club came together then, they've come together in the past and the club and the city will come together again. 'I've urged Liverpool supporters or anybody in the city who saw my social media to get in touch with me if they need to. I'm here for them as well.'
Irish Examiner
26-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
'It was chaos, it was absolutely horrific': Cork fan caught up in Liverpool collision
A Cork radio broadcaster has described the horror that unfolded before his eyes while he was in Liverpool city on Monday to witness his beloved football team celebrate their premier league victory. John Isherwood, who hosts the Saturday morning show on Red FM, was among thousands of fans who lined the city's streets to take part in the celebrations. However, at around 6pm, a car collided with a crowd of people as the parade was in full swing. The radio host told the Irish Examiner what he witnessed. 'It was so bad, it was chaos, there were people just running and screaming, and we saw a man lying on the ground, he did not look in a good state at all' he said. John, who is originally from Manchester but lives in Cork City, said he was walking home from the celebrations when he heard screaming. 'I've been in the UK since Saturday and I tried to get a ticket for the game but there were none, so we made our way to the parade, me and five other mates. Police and emergency personnel during the Premier League winners parade. Picture: Owen Humphreys/PA 'There was no signal in the city, it was impossible to find people or call anyone, we had a pub as a point of contact and we had just come out of there after seeing the parade when there was loads of noise. 'I was at the start of what happened, we came out on to the junction, at Dale street and Water Street – we came out from the corner of pub, where we cut through this street to dodge the crowd. 'We heard a bit of commotion and looked up and things were going off pretty fast' he said. 'It seemed like this car was reversing, and we could see this man lying between a car and an ambulance. He was on the ground and it was not good. Suddenly everyone was screaming, they ran to the car that knocked everyone down and they were going at the car, it was becoming really dangerous. He said he could see the ambulance trying to drive to the scene through the crowds and that people were 'lying on the ground'. 'We were trying to tell people to give the man some space and let the emergency crew do their work, but it was all becoming chaotic" he said. It was only after he left the city to go home that John was able to piece together fully what had happened. 'I just knew it was getting out of hand, people were really stressed and screaming and we knew it was best to let the emergency services do their work and to get out of there. 'Then we saw another person lying on the road and being tended to." It was absolutely horrific. 'We have seen the footage since and we are able to see now fully what happened as the images are from overhead. "I really don't know what happened or why, but we were right in the middle of it. I just hope all the people who were injured and that man who was on the ground are ok.' Merseyside Police have confirmed they have arrested a 53-year-old British man from the Liverpool area and that investigations are ongoing. Read More Man arrested after car ploughs into crowd at Liverpool victory parade
The Journal
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
TD Ken O'Flynn says he didn't know La-Z-Boy was a brand and just wanted what ‘everyone else has'
INDEPENDENT IRELAND TD Ken O'Flynn has said he was unaware that La-Z-Boy was a 'brand' and that he just requested what 'everyone else is provided with'. In an email in mid-February to the Leinster House facilities management, O'Flynn looked for ten separate items for his parliamentary office to 'enhance the workspace's comfort and functionality.' That included a La-Z-Boy recliner as 'comfortable seating' for use during break periods and office meetings – such seats often retail at well over €1,000. However, in an interview on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's RedFM, O'Flynn said he didn't know where the €1,000 price tag came from. When it was noted by host Prendeville that La-Z-Boy chairs are routinely priced in excess of €1,000, O'Flynn said he was unaware that La-Z-Boy was a brand and that he thought the term referred to a style of chair. O'Flynn said he 'didn't realise they were a brand and I just thought it was the name of the chair'. He added that he uses the term 'La-Z-Boy' for a style of chair that 'goes back slightly' and that there is 'no footrest' on the chair. Meanwhile, O'Flynn had been at loggerheads with Oireachtas management over delays in getting his office fitted out since he was elected. He told RedFM that he 'was assigned an office in the engineering block, which is outside Leinster House'. 'When I went into an office, there was a table but no chairs, no shelves, there were empty paint cans in the middle of the floor, a big stain on the carpet, and not even a chair for me to sit down at the computer'. He added that he and his staff were 'waiting six weeks for a laptop to be provided'. 'I wrote to the facilities manager and said, 'please, can I have some furniture? Could you take out the rubbish that was left from the previous occupant and could you provide furniture?'' Advertisement O'Flynn said it took six months for him to be assigned an office inside Leinster House and that he was working out of Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins's office 'on part of his desk'. The Independent Ireland TD had had frosty relations with the Oireachtas since his appointment and in January accused them of a 'disregard for the dignity' of his office in a row over lengthy delays in the fit-out of his office. He told RedFM that he 'looked around at what every Senator and TD has' and that the offices contained what O'Flynn described as a 'La-Z-Boy'. 'I requested the exact same furniture that's inside every other TD's office. 'It's a bit misleading to say that I requested a €1,000 chair, I requested a chair to come out of the stockroom where they have chairs but they're out of them.' In response to his request in mid-February, the Oireachtas said they had no recliners in stock and that they were not 'commonly purchased'. When asked if his request 'flies in the face' of previous criticisms of government spending, O'Flynn said he just 'asked them to take a chair out of the stockroom that they have, that everyone else is provided with'. 'I haven't asked for designer wallpaper or floor-to-ceiling mirrors,' said O'Flynn in reference to requests that had been made by other TDs. 'I am just asking to have a proper office after six months of not having an office,' said O'Flynn, 'and an exhausting amount of emails back and forth about where the office is going to be. 'I don't think I asked for anything extraordinary or marvelous, I think it has been blown out of proportion by certain members of the media. 'They're a normal chair, it's just that the back of it goes back.' O'Flynn said he ended up being provided with an 'old-school chair'. -With additional reporting from Ken Foxe Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Ethics watchdog opens hearing into Cork TD Ken O'Flynn's comments in 2021 radio interview
The public ethics watchdog has opened a hearing into radio interview comments and social media posts relating to the Traveller community made by Cork North Central Independent Ireland TD Ken O'Flynn when he was a city councillor. The Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) heard an outline of the allegations against him on Monday morning, and heard a preliminary application from Mr O'Flynn's legal team, as it seeks to determine if the comments and posts contravene the Local Government Act 2001, and various sections of the Code of Conduct for Councillors, and therefore warrants a full investigation. The Sipo investigation was triggered following a complaint about comments Mr O'Flynn made on Cork's RedFM in 2021 in relation to the Spring Lane halting site at Ballyvolane. A complaint about the comments to the council's ethics registrar was dismissed, and following a complaint to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, it said the interview lacked balance and had the effect of stigmatising residents of the halting site. Another complaint was made to Sipo and at Monday's preliminary hearing, Sipo's legal representative, Conor Feeney BL, outlined the three key allegations against Mr O'Flynn to the six-person commission, chaired by Garrett Sheehan. The first relates to comments Mr O'Flynn made during the RedFM interview on June 16, 2021, in relation to a report by the Children's Ombudsman into the appalling conditions facing children at the Spring Lane halting site, including the comment: 'What are they now? An ethnic minority?' Mr Feeney said it was alleged Mr O'Flynn contravened the Local Government Act 2001 and in so doing failed to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest. It is alleged he did not keep faith with the public trust, did not observe the highest ethical standards in the performance of his role as a councillor, did not act in a way that enhances public trust and confidence, did not act in a way that serves the local authority and its people conscientiously, honestly and impartially. It is further alleged he did not act in a way that promotes equality and avoids bias, did not seek to ensure his conduct did not bring the integrity of his office or of local government into distribute, and did not act in a matter that maintains proper standards of integrity, integrity and concern for the public interest, all of which are in breach of various sections of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. Mr Feeney said the second allegation relates to Mr O'Flynn's conduct on a Facebook social media account in his name. It is alleged he published and/or authorised the publication of statements demonstrating a biased view of members of the Traveller community, and that he failed to monitor and/or remove comments exhibiting bias towards the Traveller community and other minority groups, including those of an inflammatory and derogatory nature which were made in reply to his statements. It is alleged he expressly endorsed those comments by using the 'like' feature on Facebook. Mr Feeney alleged this was a breach of Section 168 of the Local Government Act 2001 in that he failed to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest, and that this was also a breach of several sections of the Code of Conduct for Councillors. An additional breach was it contravened a specified section in relation to the unacceptable use or misuse of social media in relation to content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability age race religious beliefs or membership of the travelling communities. And finally, Mr Feeney said the combination of the first two allegations collectively amounted to specified act within the meaning of Section 4 of the Standards of Public Office Act 2001. Mr O'Flynn's barrister, Brian Leahy BL, instructed by Ronan Deasy Solicitor, gave various grounds for dismissing a Sipo investigation, arguing the radio interview was not part of the statutory duties of a city councillor, and his comments on the Ombudsman report were "fair comment". He said the interview was wide-ranging, but started with the housing issue, a serious problem for everyone in society, but especially the Traveller community. 'We have a problem with housing in the Travelling community, we have a problem with housing in the whole community, we can either ignore that, and not talk about it, or try and come up with a solution,' he said. 'And I say that's what Mr O'Flynn was doing. 'Did he step on people's toes? Absolutely. And isn't right that we step on people's toes. 'Isn't it right that we say 'I disagree with you, and here's why' because if we stop that, what is the use of political debate?" He said Mr O'Flynn has had more than 400,000 Facebook interactions over the years, and some of the posts referred to in this complaint were published before updated guidance for politicians on social media use. He highlighted the right to free expression, urging caution of any investigation into comments in the political sphere. 'If the State, through the commission are going to interfere with someone's right to free expression in the political sphere, it needs to be very much balanced in the favour of the person who has expressed an opinion,' he said. 'In the 1980s, you wouldn't criticise the Catholic Church. Now you can criticise the Catholic Church. And it's important that we do criticise organs of the State. 'But if we are constantly looking over our shoulders and saying 'I can't x, y or z, or believe I can't say', we don't get to talk about what we need to talk about. 'If we stop communicating, we end up with Brexit and Trump.' The commission adjourned to listen to the radio interview, and when chairperson Mr Sheehan returned, he asked where was the cut-off point between freedom of speech and offensive speech of a type that needed to be constrained, if there should be a higher threshold for politicians in relation to that, where does the function of a councillor end, and if the Facebook comments were still online. Mr Leahy said Mr O'Flynn did not believe he had caused offence, but if he had, he did not intend it, and he apologises. He said Mr O'Flynn's husband, two members of staff and a PR company would have had access to his social media accounts, but after the complaint was made, and on reflection, the 'offending' comments were 'unliked'. There was extensive legal argument, with Mr Feeney concluding by telling the commission it now had to consider if the matters were of a sufficient degree of gravity to warrant a full investigation, to consider if certain elements of the complaint were removed, did that render the remainder of the complaint 'frivolous', and if certain allegations were to removed, was there sufficient evidence to sustain a complaint. The commission has now adjourned to determine whether a full investigation into Mr O'Flynn's conduct will follow. The commission has also been told Mr O'Flynn intended to make an application for his costs.
The Journal
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Cork TD says he 'wasn't speaking as councillor' when he made comments about Travellers on radio
CORK TD Ken O'Flynn has told SIPO that he was not speaking within the capacity of his role as a local councillor when he made comments about the Traveller community on Red FM radio. O'Flynn also argued that comments were 'legitimate commentary' and within his rights to freedom of expression. O'Flynn appeared before the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) in a preliminary application hearing today in order to request that the investigation into his comments not go ahead. The Commission is investigating whether O'Flynn, who was an elected local councillor at the time, broke the rules of the councillor's Code of Conduct, or the Local Government Act, during an interview with Neil Prendeville about a report into the living conditions for Traveller children at a halting site in Ballyvolane, Cork City, in 2021, and in his subsequent posts on social media. His legal representative, Brian Leahy BL, argued that at the time that the Independent Ireland TD made the comments he was not doing so in the capacity of his role as a local councillor, though he was speaking as a 'local politician'. This was contested by the SIPO legal representative, Conor Feeney BL, who said that the code of conduct the complaint relates to specifies that actions which are 'inconsistent' with the proper functions of a councillor's role within a local authority should be considered too. Feeney further pointed out that the City Council has a statutory role in relation to the Spring Lane halting site, and so therefore it could be considered that there is a 'sufficient connection' between the subject matter of the interview and the role of a councillor. Leahy argued that though O'Flynn was speaking in his capacity was a local politician, he was not fulfilling any function of his role within the local authority. Leahy further said that the transcript of the interview before the Commission was incorrect. It shows that O'Flynn said: 'What are they now, an ethnic minority', where in actuality he said, 'What are they now, lauded as an ethnic minority'. Advertisement 'Which could be better or worse depending on your view,' Leahy said. He said that Mr O'Flynn made the comments in an interview segment that dealt with the fallout from the Ombudsman for Children's Office 'No End in Site' report, which criticised Cork City Council's actions in relation to the conditions children were living in in the Spring Lane halting site in 2021, specifically damp accommodation, pest infestation, and illegal dumping. Leahy put forth that O'Flynn was chiefly taking issue with the way the report was conducted, as was his right to do. He said that Mr O'Flynn was 'stating the facts' when he said that there is an accommodation issue within the Traveller community, that Travellers are an ethnic minority group, and that it was not his intention to offend anyone. O'Flynn clarified that after the complaint came through, he unliked a number of comments about Travellers on Facebook that were mentioned in the complaint. He said that at least four people – who are personally connected to him – have access to his social media accounts, so he could not be sure that it was him that liked all of the comments that were objected to. The Commission will now consider the primary application made by O'Flynn to dismiss the complaint, and that will determine whether the full investigation, or any investigation will go ahead. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) previously criticised O'Flynn's comments on the radio, saying that his contribution lacked balance and had the effect of stigmatising residents of the halting site. However, an earlier complaint to Cork City Council's ethics registrar was dismissed. O'Flynn was one of only three councillors to vote against an €18 million Traveller accommodation upgrade for the Spring Lane site in 2024. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
