'They tell me my website is very poor,' admits McGrath during court case

Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath also gave evidence at the Circuit Court civil action hearing last week in Nenagh.

The case saw The Premier People newspaper close with immediate effect following a civil action involving the owners of two Clonmel-based publications.

Kadenza Consultancies Limited and Niall Dennehy took an action against Jamie O’Flaherty, a former editor of Premier Newspapers, and Premier Newspapers and Media Limited over alleged breaches of company law.

Tom O’Donnell, BL, (instructed by Charles Daly of Charles C Daly and Company, Cobh) for Jamie O’Flaherty said that in Niall Dennehy’s affidavit previously handed to the court he had stated that there was an issue with a press release by Deputy Mattie McGrath which appeared in the Premier People.

“I had asked if he (Deputy McGrath) had knowingly subscribed to the Premier People. He went to the office and they said they sent it to the original email address,” Mr Dennehy said.

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Mr O’Donnell said the press release had been copied from Deputy McGrath’s website as Deputy McGrath often put press releases on his website.

Mr Dennehy accepted it was an old press release. “All I know is that I spoke to him. We have no access to our original emails, which were a legitimate part of our company,” said Mr Dennehy.

Mr Dennehy told Judge Catherine Staines that the press release had been sent to the old Premier Newspaper email address.

“It would be of great benefit if Mr McGrath could be here,” said the judge.

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She said it would help if he were to be called as otherwise it could be hearsay evidence from Mr Dennehy but it was evidence that would be relevant.

On day two of the case, Deputy McGrath agreed with John Hanafin, BL (instructed by Patrick Kennedy of PJ O’Meara and Company, Thurles), for the complainant, that he had sent a press release to what he believed to be South Tipperary News but it had gone to Premier People.

“The press release was not published on my website,” he said.

Under cross-examination by Mr O’Donnell, he agreed that a limited number of press releases went up to Facebook. However, he couldn’t say if that article went to Facebook.

Mr O’Donnell handed him a copy of the article and Deputy McGrath said he was able to read the headline but he had difficulty with the small print as he was getting over a detached retina.

“Can people reproduce articles from your website?” asked Mr O’Donnell. “They tell me my website is very poor,” said Deputy McGrath.

“I’d suggest it’s from your Facebook page,” said Mr O’Donnell. “I’d say it was from a press release,” replied Deputy McGrath.

“It was from a press release. A very limited number go on Facebook or the website.”

When Judge Staines said she couldn’t tell if the article appeared on Facebook, Mr O’Donnell said an email sent between parties had suggested it was not on the website but on Facebook.

In his evidence Mr Dennehy added: “I have no problem with anybody setting up a newspaper but he was not entitled to subvert mine. The issue is it’s a copycat paper. I have acknowledged his contribution, but now he was going to be editor of his own newspaper,” he said.