LAST UPDATE | 2 Jul

FORMER IRISH OLYMPIC swimming coach George Gibney faces up to 79 charges, including attempted rape, relating to the alleged sexual abuse of four girls, according to court documents.

77-year-old Gibney will appear before a Florida court in the US next week after he was arrested by US Marshals on foot of an Irish extradition warrant yesterday.

Gardaí have been investigating fresh allegations that Gibney sexually abused multiple children in his care while working as a swimming coach in Ireland decades ago.

Documents detail that the former coach was wanted for 79 alleged sexual assault offences, 78 for indecent assault and one for attempted rape, against four girls between 1 January 1971 and 14 August 1974.

A specialist unit within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau launched a detailed inquiry after a garda probe was reopened in 2020 when several people made allegations on a BBC and Second Captains podcast titled ‘Where is George Gibney?’.

After a three-year investigation, a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who recommended charging Gibney. Court documents relating to the case, lodged last week, refer to the podcast series extensively. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, speaking in Japan this morning, said the arrest shows the importance of judicial cooperation with the United States. 

“I think we all listened to the podcast. I think it’s important that we have an agreement with the US. Gardaí have been working very diligently and in a detailed way, I have no doubt,” he said. 

“We will await the next step now.”

Gibney appeared before Orlando District Court Judge Daniel Irick for 11 minutes yesterday afternoon. He was remanded in the custody of US Marshals to appear before the same judge next Friday, 11 July, for a detention hearing.

Gardaí said that they are aware of the arrest of a male aged in his 70s in the United States on the foot of an international warrant but would not be commenting “as this is currently a matter for the US authorities”.

Gibney was the founder of the Trojan Swimming Club in Blackrock in Dublin, where he also worked as a coach. He was also the Irish national swimming coach until 1991.

Now aged in his 70s, he was previously charged with 27 sexual offences in 1993, which were dropped in 1994 after Gibney secured a High Court injunction, preventing the DPP from prosecuting him.

Gibney then left Ireland for Scotland, where he continued to work as a swimming coach. He has lived in the United States since 1995.

In 1997, a Garda investigation into Gibney was opened after fresh allegations were made against him. The probe was then five years ago in the wake of the podcast series. 

The podcast centred on the survivors of sexual abuse by Gibney. A number of alleged victims emerged after an appeal was issued for people with any information to come forward.

The DPP would be free to seek Gibney’s extradition from the US if it were to proceed with charges.

With reporting by Andrew Walsh and Christina Finn in Japan