National journalistic award for Tipperary Star journalist Ronan Dodd

Tipperary Star’s Nenagh-based newspaper reporter, the long-serving Ronan Dodd, has won a major award for his coverage in highlighting how mentally ill people are often criminalised for actions over which their illness gives them little or no control, resulting in them ending up before the courts as law breakers.

Ronan, a native of Dublin, who has been living in Nenagh for many years, won the local media online print category in the Justice Media Awards run by the Law Society of Ireland which were presented in Dublin last week.

Married to Virginia (O’Dowd), a former teacher and Labour Party public representative, with two adult children, Donnchadh and Sorcha, Ronan has worked in many print titles during a distinguished career in journalism - prior to joining the Tipperary Star, he worked in our sister paper, the Limerick Leader. He began his career as a sub-editor with The Irish Press and is a former assistant editor of the Wexford People.

The judges said of his winning entry, titled The Criminal System and Mental Health: “This journalist has shone a light on how mental illness collides with the criminal justice system. It is excellent reporting on a serious and relevant issue, which is not covered much elsewhere. It was a stand-out winner.”

President of the Law Society of Ireland, Michelle Ní Longáin, said at the awards ceremony: “It is heartening to see such a high calibre and breadth of voices covering legal issues in Ireland across national and regional media.

Above: Ronan is pictured with Thurles man, Fionnán Sheahan, Ireland Editor of the Irish Independent.

“Legal journalism wears many hats. Whether it is highlighting gaps in legislation, increasing legal literacy or amplifying the voices of victims, the Law Society is proud to support and champion legal journalism.

“Improving access to justice is a priority of the Law Society and to achieve this we need significant investment in both infrastructure and personnel in the Courts Service,” she said.

In total, 15 awards and 35 merits were presented across 15 categories, including awards in two new categories.
One hundred and thirty of Ireland’s leading journalists, including Ronan, gathered at the Law Society of Ireland’s historic headquarters at Blackhall Place to attend the first in-person Justice Media Awards event since 2019.

“I am absolutely delighted to win this award which is a tribute to the work of local journalists in highlighting important legal issues on a week-in week-out basis.”

He described it as a “scandal” that many people who are before the District Court often suffer from mental health issues, most times due to addictions which should be tackled in a different forum rather than turning them into criminals. Ronan praised the manner in which Judge Elizabeth MacGrath, the Court Services, the gardaí and the young man’s solicitor, David Peters, moved every obstacle to ensure the person at the centre of his report, received the treatment they deserved.

Nenagh District Court congratulates and pays tribute to Ronan

At a sitting of Nenagh District Court on Thursday last, Judge Elizabeth MacGrath, reacting to the news of Ronan Dodd’s major national award win, said she was delighted to learn that court reporter had won a category award.

In paying tribute to the Tipperary Star journalist, Judge MacGrath said that while journalists might seem to be on the sidelines of the court, they played a very important role in society in that they highlighted the workings of the court. She said she was impressed that local newspapers in North Tipperary sent their reporters to court on a regular basis and that journalists like Mr Dodd were always responsible and never out to grab a cheap headline.

Judge MacGrath, pictured above, noted that Mr Dodd won his award for his coverage of a particular case that had come before her court. She said his story had highlighted a big gap in the Irish system of care for people who had mental health issues.

Sergeant Michael Keating, speaking on on behalf of An Garda Síochána, said Mr Dodd was always fair in his court reporting while Elizabeth McKeever, speaking on behalf of the legal profession, said it was very important that what happened in court was brought to the attention of the public and the local reporters did a very good job in this aspect.

Court Clerk Tommy Mockler, in also congratulating Mr Dodd, said it was obvious that the reporters were very diligent. He had come to this conclusion because he frequently found himself assisting them in the early mornings and long into the evenings.
Responding, Mr Dodd thanked everyone for their kinds words and said he was merely the conduit for a very important story about shortcomings in mental health sector that needed to be told.

He said that in his coverage of the courts over the years he had seen so many people with mental health issues who had been wrongly criminalised. What these people badly needed was help and not to be brought before the legal system for law breaking.