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'We'll let the DPP decide': Former Minister Dara Calleary not expecting personal charges from Golfgate

Calleary said he absolutely regrets and apologises for having attended the controversial dinner.

FORMER MINISTER FOR Agriculture Dara Calleary has said he does not expect any personal charges in relation to the Golfgate dinner last August. 

A file in relation to political controversy – where elected representatives, former politicians, and a judge were accused of breaching the Covid-19 restrictions at the time – was forwarded to the DPP last month by gardaí.  

The Mayo TD told Virgin Media’s Tonight Show that he reiterated what he had said publicly in his statement to gardaí, a process he took “very seriously” having sought legal advice. 

“I absolutely regret and apologise for having attended it. I regret the anger and the hurt, particularly, the hurt that I caused by attending,” Calleary said. 

“I really want to reiterate that the legal process will take its course,” he said, adding that he is not sure if there will be charges levelled against him but that his legal advice has indicated that the organisation of the event is the issue. 

“We’ll let the DPP decide. And one thing I’ve learned from last year is to take one day at a time.” 

On 19 August last year, 81 people attended a dinner in a Clifden hotel, Co Galway as part of an Oireachtas Golf Society event. The guests were split into two separate groups and a partition was drawn between them, it’s been claimed.  

Gatherings had been limited to 50 people, but the day before the Golfgate dinner, the Government unveiled new restrictions to combat the growing number of Covid-19 cases.

On 21 August, Gardaí said it would probe alleged breaches of The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A-Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No.3) Regulations 2020.

Under these regulations referenced by Gardaí, the law states that: “A person shall not organise, or cause to be organised, an event for cultural, entertainment, recreational, sporting, social, community or educational reasons in a relevant geographical location other than where one or more of the following applies:

(a) in the case of an indoor event, the maximum number of persons attending, or proposed to attend, the event (for whatever reason) does not exceed 50 persons.

Among those who attended the Golfgate dinner alongside Calleary were EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, Supreme Court judge Séamus Woulfe, former RTÉ presenter Sean O’Rourke, and a number of Senators. 

Calleary resigned immediately from his role, and Hogan resigned later following increasing scrutiny of his whereabouts and actions.

Calleary said last night that he is at peace with his decision to resign as “the public health message would have been damaged” if he didn’t take that action.

When asked about the actions of other attendees he said “when you’re in a glass house it’s not a good thing to throw stones” but that he views his position differently from others, given he was a cabinet member involved in drawing up public health regulations. 

“You either resign or you don’t. As I said, the hurt and the anger that was caused by the event was real, and was very real for people that are across the country. And it needed a resignation, my resignation, to respond and to recognize that hurts and that anger.”

A report by a former judge found that Séamus Woulfe’s resignation would be “disproportionate” to his actions, but the increased scrutiny of his decision to attend the dinner raised separate issues about the judicial appointment process.

Woulfe had been the Attorney General at the time that the Covid restrictions he is accused of breaching at the Clifden dinner were drafted.

Last month, Fianna Fáil readmitted three senators who attended the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden and had subsequently lost the whip; Fine Gael also readmitted three senators who had been present.

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:37 PM

    I’d say Denis O Brien sleeps very well in his tax haven

    105
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    Mute RonanM
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:38 PM

    Yawn

    75
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    Mute Con Manne
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:19 PM

    What’s the difference between a light on and a hard on? You can sleep with a light on.

    36
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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:35 PM

    Con. It’s ‘what’s the difference between light and hard?’!

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Apr 9th 2015, 5:29 PM

    Semi?

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    Mute Con Manne
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    Apr 9th 2015, 9:07 PM

    Bungalow.

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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:07 PM

    Lot of people working two jobs to make ends meet in America so not much time for sleep.

    73
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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:56 PM

    I was obviously rich until the last 3-4 nights and will be poor until the weekend. Can’t feckin sleep at all right now!

    59
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    Mute Tom
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:59 PM

    I find that glancing at thejournal.ie comments section is both tiring and uplifting.
    You get the same old tiresome whinging from 5 he same contributors and you get to feel superior as well. Great night’s sleep guaranteed.

    48
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    Mute Chris
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:00 PM

    A lot of them are unconscionable sociopaths – fleecing people actually helps them get a better sleep.

    40
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    Mute Peter Hargan
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:07 PM

    Food,warmth and a nice comfy bed might just have something to do with it

    29
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    Mute Michael Skellig
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    Apr 9th 2015, 4:21 PM

    The rich have no conscience, hence more sleep.

    25
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    Mute Joanna
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:39 PM

    Maybe because not rich people need to work more?

    17
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    Mute Top Cat
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:42 PM

    Or because rich people aren’t out until all hours slangin rocks of crack.

    34
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    Mute saltaroo
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    Apr 9th 2015, 12:46 PM

    Cos that’s what everyone on the poverty line does

    59
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    Mute Whatsup Dok
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    Apr 9th 2015, 1:21 PM

    hmm, I’m poorer than I realised so

    16
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    Mute The Professor
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    Apr 9th 2015, 2:08 PM

    The headline changed again! Like something you would see in the English tabloid papers. I bet the journalists sit around the office high-fiving each other after every effort

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    Mute Caroline Dunlea
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    Apr 9th 2015, 5:01 PM

    Having the few bob eases the mind… D’oh!

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    Mute Noel Falkhall
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    Apr 9th 2015, 3:31 PM

    My wife who is rich beyond belief has tough time sleeping and I the poor one sleep like a log every night so the story is a crock….

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    Mute Colin C
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    Apr 9th 2015, 3:25 PM

    The socialist solution to this is to make sure no one sleeps. Then we will all be equal. And that’s the main thing.

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    Mute William lynn
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    Apr 9th 2015, 10:11 PM

    And what did the study say about sleeping on a bed of money ?

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    Mute Calisto Roberto
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    Jul 29th 2016, 8:12 AM

    Hello everyone i want to share my testimony on how i belong to illuminati member, a friend of mine always give me money…because he was very rich, one day he said he is not going to give me fish that he is going to teach me how to fish, so i was very happy, i never new he was a member of illuminati since we started our friendship! so i was initiated to the illuminati order and few days later i was awarded a contract worth of millions of Dollars, in my business i am doing very well right now, i can now influence people, render financial help etc, if you want to become a member contact us via email: illuminatiorder.co@gmail.com or call +2348137838605

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