Tribunal may trigger Garda probe into historic child abuse claims

The Defence Forces Tribunal could lead to a Garda investigation into historic child abuse, it has emerged.

Denis “Max” Kennedy, on their way in to give evidence at the Defence Forces Tribunal. Picture: Neil Michael.

The tribunal heard that Tusla, the child and family agency, has recommended that assaults and abuse allegedly carried out by officers should be reported to gardaí.

Ms Justice Ann Power, the sole member of the tribunal, was told by Denis Kennedy they had been instructed to inform gardaí about what had happened, as it was considered “child abuse”.

Mr Kennedy, who joined aged 16 in September 1989, said he had been encouraged to contact a therapist to discuss the alleged abuse he endured at Devoy Barracks in the 1980s and 1990s.

After he gave his evidence on Thursday, he was asked whether he had ever considered making a formal complaint about his treatment.

He said his therapist had gone to Tusla, which informed her that his experience constituted “historic child abuse”.

Mr Kennedy told the judge: “She recommended it be reported to gardaí.”

After giving evidence, he told the Irish Examiner: “I am going to wait to get the tribunal out of the way.

“This is all very new and as this is what has been recommended, this is what I am now considering doing.

“But I am unlikely to be the only one.”

There were 13 16-year-olds in the 54th Platoon, 22 17-year-olds, and 20 recruits aged 18.

Read full article by Neil Michael at the Irish Examiner website below.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41868969.html

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Delay – Deny – Die

‘I walked into hell’: Recruit tells Defence Forces Tribunal of being ‘tortured, not trained’

Recruits to the Defence Forces’ Apprentice School in the 1980s and 1990s were “tortured, not trained”, the Defence Forces Tribunal has been told.

Recalling the day he joined the 54th Platoon at Devoy Barracks in Naas, Co Kildare, in September 1989 at the age of 16, Denis Kennedy said: “I walked into hell.”

He told the tribunal he witnessed a senior officer — known as 2Lt B and who cannot be named for legal reasons — assaulting him and other recruits, including kicking a fellow recruit in the ribs as he did press-ups.

He also said he saw the officer order another recruit to eat cigarettes from “the dregs of an ashtray”.

One of Mr Kennedy’s closest friends, Oliver Mullaney, died by suicide on June 22, 1991, two days after allegedly being repeatedly humiliated by 2Lt B.

Previous witnesses to the tribunal have said 2Lt B ordered Mr Mullaney to not only dance on a chair but also kiss another recruit.

Mr Kennedy said the abuse was widely known about, telling tribunal senior counsel Michael Cush that more senior officers above 2Lt B would have been aware.

“They would have been well aware,” he said.

“They were watching, they were well aware.”

Asked about the most senior rank to have known, he said it was the “commanding officer” — meaning at least a lieutenant colonel.

The tribunal later heard that the unnamed commanding officer has denied being aware of the abuse suffered by Mr Mullaney.

Read full article by Neil Michael at the Irish Examiner website below.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41868969.html

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Delay – Deny – Die

A young military apprentice died in Co Kildare 35 years ago. Now a tribunal is investigating his death

Oliver Mullaney (19) had been in the military for only 20 months at time of his death at Devoy Barracks in Naas

The death of a 19-year-old apprentice at a Defence Forces barracks some 35 years ago is being examined by a tribunal into complaints of abuse within the military.

The Defence Forces tribunal is about to make an order for discovery of all military files relating to the death of Private Oliver Mullaney, an apprentice who died at Devoy Barracks in Naas on June 22nd, 1991.

Mullaney was a trainee motor mechanic who had been in the Defence Forces for only 20 months at the time of his death. He was from Sheffield, a townland just outside Leitrim village that was known as “Sheafield” at the time of his death. His parents were Joseph and Mary Mullaney, and he had three brothers and two sisters.

On the night of Saturday, June 22nd, Mullaney was on sentry duty at Devoy Barracks, which served as the Army apprentice school from the 1950s until it closed in 1998.

At about 9.15pm, three gunshots were heard. Mullaney suffered a head wound and died instantly. The fatal shots came from Mullaney’s own gun, a Steyr 5.56mm assault rifle. Reports in local and national newspapers the next week said the Army was treating his death as accidental.

It was reported at the time that the Army would hold an internal inquiry into the 19-year-old’s death, with an investigation also launched by gardaí at Naas. There is no record of the inquiry’s findings ever being made public.

A spokesman for the Defence Forces said: “Óglaigh na hÉireann is committed in its full support and co-operation with the tribunal of inquiry. However, as this matter is currently before the tribunal, it would be inappropriate to provide a comment.”

Read the full article by Ellen Coyne of the Irish Times below.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026/02/10/death-of-young-defence-forces-apprentice-in-1991-examined-by-tribunal/