The Oireachtas Golf Society scandal, also known informally as "Golfgate", was a
political scandal
In politics, a political scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Politicians, government officials, party officials and lobbyists can be accused of various illegal, corrupt, unethic ...
in Ireland involving past and present members of that country's parliament, the
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:
*The President of Ireland
*The bicameralism, two houses of the Oireachtas ...
, who attended a gathering of the Oireachtas Golf Society in
Clifden
Clifden (, meaning "stepping stones") is a coastal town in County Galway, Ireland, in the region of Connemara, located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Cap ...
,
County Galway
"Righteousness and Justice"
, anthem = ()
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg
, map_caption = Location in Ireland
, area_footnotes =
, area_total_km2 = ...
, on 19 August 2020.
The gathering took place during public health guidelines that had been issued in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. A total of 81 guests attended a dinner organised by the society, including a number of high-profile Oireachtas members; the
European Commissioner for Trade
The European Commissioner for Trade (sometimes referred to as the ''EU Trade Commissioner'') is the member of the European Commission responsible for the Common Commercial Policy (EU), European Union's common commercial policy.
Responsibilities
...
,
Phil Hogan
Phil Hogan (born 4 July 1960) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as European Commissioner for Trade between 2019 and 2020, and previously European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development between 2014 and 2019.
He previously ...
; and a
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
judge,
Séamus Woulfe
Séamus Philip Woulfe (born 1962) is an Irish judge and lawyer who has served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland since July 2020. He previously served as Attorney General of Ireland from 2017 to 2020. Prior to holding public office, he w ...
.
Following the publication of the story on 20 August by the ''
Irish Examiner
The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country. ...
'', there was widespread public anger across Ireland that attendees had allegedly contravened restrictions that had been drafted by the ruling
Fianna Fáil–Fine Gael–Green Party coalition government, one of whose ministers was in attendance at the dinner. It was later determined that the event did not breach the rules.
The scandal resulted in the resignations of Hogan; the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( ga, An tAire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Historically, the agriculture portfol ...
and Deputy Leader of
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...
,
Dara Calleary
Dara Calleary (born 10 May 1973) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation since August 2022. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo constituency since th ...
; and the
Leas-Chathaoirleach
Cathaoirleach (; Irish for chairperson; plural: ) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach, who has held the offi ...
of
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house).
It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...
,
Jerry Buttimer
Jerry Buttimer (born 18 March 1967) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann since December 2022. He has served as a Senator for the Labour Panel since 2016, and previously from 2007 to 2011. He served ...
. It also resulted in calls for a number of other resignations, and the affair was seen to have shaken public confidence in the coalition government. Four people were later prosecuted for their roles as organisers of the event. The Court acquitted them of all charges, saying that the event had been organised within the rules and with due care to public health.
Background
Under the third phase of a roadmap issued by
the government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
for reopening the national economy after the first peak of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, indoor gatherings of up to 50 people had been permissible since 29 June when conducted in line with public health advice.
However, in response to an increase in confirmed cases,
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
announced on 18 August that more restrictive measures would be reintroduced across the country until 13 September, in an effort to limit the spread of the virus. Among the restrictions announced were a limit on indoor gatherings and events to six people from no more than three households, with exemptions granted for weddings, certain religious ceremonies and cultural facilities, provided appropriate protective measures could be maintained.
On 20 August, ''
Irish Examiner
The ''Irish Examiner'', formerly ''The Cork Examiner'' and then ''The Examiner'', is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country. ...
'' journalists
Aoife-Grace Moore and Paul Hosford reported on an event organised by the Oireachtas Golf Society that took place over two days in
Clifden
Clifden (, meaning "stepping stones") is a coastal town in County Galway, Ireland, in the region of Connemara, located on the Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Cap ...
,
County Galway
"Righteousness and Justice"
, anthem = ()
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg
, map_caption = Location in Ireland
, area_footnotes =
, area_total_km2 = ...
, including a dinner on 19 August at the Station House Hotel. The event, organised by the society's captain,
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
TD Noel Grealish
Noel Grealish (born 16 December 1965) is an Irish Independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since the 2002 general election.
Political career
He is from the Gaeltacht region of Carnmore, near G ...
, and its president, former
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christian- ...
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Donie Cassidy
Daniel Cassidy (born 15 September 1945) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Leader of the Seanad from 2007 to 2011. He served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 1982 to 2002 and 2007 to 2011 and a Teachta Dála (TD) for ...
, was organised as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the society, as well as a commemoration of the death of former Fianna Fáil
MEP,
Mark Killilea Jnr
Mark Killilea Jnr (5 September 1939 – 31 December 2018) was a farmer, auctioneer and agricultural contractor who served as an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. In a 30-year political career, served as a Teachta Dála (TD) and Member of the Europ ...
, in 2018. It consisted of games of
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
and a gala dinner. The golfing competitions, held over the two days at Connemara Golf Links in
Ballyconneely
Ballyconneely () is a village and small ribbon development in west Connemara, County Galway Ireland.
Name
19th century antiquarian John O'Donovan documents a number of variants of the village, including Ballyconneely, Baile 'ic Conghaile, Ball ...
, were won by
Niall Blaney
Niall Blaney (born 29 January 1974) is an Irish politician who has been a Senator for the Agricultural Panel since April 2020. He was a member of Independent Fianna Fáil until he joined Fianna Fáil in 2006, he served as a Teachta Dála (TD) ...
and
Gerry Brady
Gerard Brady (born 1948) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician and Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare constituency.
He was elected at the February 1982 general election to the 23rd Dáil, but at the November 1982 general election he lo ...
. The dinner was held in a single room with a removable dividing partition, splitting the 81 attendees into 45 and 36 people on either side in an effort to enforce
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
.
Subsequent newspaper reports stated that not only had social distancing not been properly observed at the dinner, but public health advice had generally not been observed.
It was also reported that former independent TD and
Monaghan County Council
Monaghan County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Mhuineacháin) is the authority responsible for local government in County Monaghan, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for ho ...
member
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
,
Paudge Connolly, had attended the dinner despite playing in another golf event in Spain just nine days previously. This meant that he could not have been compliant with the 14-day period of
restricted movements that was mandatory for people entering Ireland from Spain, under the then-current travel restrictions enforced by the government.
Notable attendees
![Noel Grealish (official portrait) 2020 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Noel_Grealish_%28official_portrait%29_2020_%28cropped%29.jpg)
*
Dara Calleary
Dara Calleary (born 10 May 1973) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation since August 2022. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Mayo constituency since th ...
,
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( ga, An tAire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Historically, the agriculture portfol ...
, deputy leader of Fianna Fáil and
TD for
Mayo Mayo often refers to:
* Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo"
* Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Mayo may also refer to:
Places
Antarctica
* Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land
Australia
* Division of Mayo, an Aust ...
*
Donie Cassidy
Daniel Cassidy (born 15 September 1945) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Leader of the Seanad from 2007 to 2011. He served as a Senator for the Labour Panel from 1982 to 2002 and 2007 to 2011 and a Teachta Dála (TD) for ...
, former Fianna Fáil
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, former
Leader of the Seanad
The Leader of the Seanad (referred to within the Seanad as Leader of the House ga, Treoraí an Tí) is a member of Seanad Éireann appointed by the Taoiseach to direct government business. Since December 2022, the incumbent is Lisa Chambers of ...
and outgoing president of the society
*
Noel Grealish
Noel Grealish (born 16 December 1965) is an Irish Independent politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since the 2002 general election.
Political career
He is from the Gaeltacht region of Carnmore, near G ...
,
Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
TD for
Galway West and the captain of the society
*
Phil Hogan
Phil Hogan (born 4 July 1960) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as European Commissioner for Trade between 2019 and 2020, and previously European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development between 2014 and 2019.
He previously ...
,
European Commissioner for Trade
The European Commissioner for Trade (sometimes referred to as the ''EU Trade Commissioner'') is the member of the European Commission responsible for the Common Commercial Policy (EU), European Union's common commercial policy.
Responsibilities
...
, and former cabinet minister and
Fine Gael
Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
TD for
Carlow-Kilkenny
*
Séamus Woulfe
Séamus Philip Woulfe (born 1962) is an Irish judge and lawyer who has served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Ireland since July 2020. He previously served as Attorney General of Ireland from 2017 to 2020. Prior to holding public office, he w ...
,
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
judge and former
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
*
Seán O'Rourke, former
RTÉ
(RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
broadcaster
*
Jerry Buttimer
Jerry Buttimer (born 18 March 1967) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann since December 2022. He has served as a Senator for the Labour Panel since 2016, and previously from 2007 to 2011. He served ...
,
Leas-Chathaoirleach
Cathaoirleach (; Irish for chairperson; plural: ) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach, who has held the offi ...
of
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house).
It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...
and Fine Gael senator
*
Niall Blaney
Niall Blaney (born 29 January 1974) is an Irish politician who has been a Senator for the Agricultural Panel since April 2020. He was a member of Independent Fianna Fáil until he joined Fianna Fáil in 2006, he served as a Teachta Dála (TD) ...
,
Paul Daly and
Aidan Davitt, Fianna Fáil senators
*
Paddy Burke
Paddy Burke (born 15 January 1955) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has served as a Senator for the Agricultural Panel since 1993. He previously served as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann from 2011 to 2016 and Leas-Chathaoirleach of Seanad ...
and
John Cummins, Fine Gael senators
*
Paudge Connolly, sitting member of
Monaghan County Council
Monaghan County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Mhuineacháin) is the authority responsible for local government in County Monaghan, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for ho ...
and former independent TD for
Cavan-Monaghan
Cavan Monaghan (known as Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan until 2007) is a township in Peterborough County in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, southwest of the city of Peterborough.
History
The original townships of Cavan and Monaghan were survey ...
*
Noel Dempsey
Noel Dempsey (born 6 January 1953) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Transport from 2007 to 2011, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources from 2004 to 2007, Minister for Education and Scien ...
and
Frank Fahey, former Fianna Fáil TDs and cabinet ministers
*
Áine Brady
Áine Brady (; born 8 September 1954) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Minister of State from 2009 to 2011. She was a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare North constituency from 2007 to 2011.
She was Fianna Fáil's you ...
, former Fianna Fáil TD and
minister of state
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...
*
Gerry Brady
Gerard Brady (born 1948) is an Irish former Fianna Fáil politician and Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare constituency.
He was elected at the February 1982 general election to the 23rd Dáil, but at the November 1982 general election he lo ...
, former Fianna Fáil TD
*
Gerry Reynolds, former Fine Gael senator and TD
*
Brian Hayes, head of the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland, and former Fine Gael minister of state and
MEP for
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
,
*
Imelda Henry
Imelda Henry (born 5 March 1967) is an Irish Fine Gael politician and former senator. She was elected to the 24th Seanad in April 2011 on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. and lost her seat at the following election in April 2016.
She was a ...
and
Cáit Keane
Cáit Keane (born 24 September 1949) is an Irish Fine Gael politician and former member of Seanad Éireann.
Keane first entered politics as a member of the Progressive Democrats (PDs), and was elected to represent Terenure on Dublin County Coun ...
, former Fine Gael senators
*
Lorraine Higgins
Lorraine Higgins (born 3 August 1979) is an Irish barrister, and a former Labour Party politician who represented the party in the 24th Seanad after being nominated by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny. From Galway, she is a graduate of NUI Galway (acq ...
, former
Labour Party senator
*
Pat McCartan
Patrick John McCartan (born 5 May 1953) is an Irish lawyer who was a Circuit Court judge and a former politician.
A native of Wexford, he first practiced as a solicitor working in criminal defence. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a ...
, former
Circuit Court judge and
Workers' Party TD, and vice-captain of the society
*
Michael Harty, former independent TD for
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
and chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Health
* John Flaherty, Captain of the Guard in
Leinster House
Leinster House ( ga, Teach Laighean) is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it is a complex of buildings, of which the former ducal palace is the core, ...
and a
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
with responsibility for health and safety in the Oireachtas, including COVID-19 precautions
* Lahcen Mahraoui, Ambassador of
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
to Ireland
* Donagh Killilea, Fianna Fáil member of
Galway County Council
Galway County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe) is the authority responsible for local government in County Galway, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housin ...
* Martin Brett, sitting Fine Gael member of
Kilkenny County Council
Kilkenny County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae Chill Chainnigh) is the authority responsible for local government in County Kilkenny, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for ...
* Enda McGloin, sitting Fine Gael member of
Leitrim County Council
Leitrim County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae Liatroma) is the authority responsible for local government in County Leitrim, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing ...
Reaction and consequences
Following the breaking of the story, the gathering was criticised heavily across Irish society.
The
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...
,
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin (; born 1 August 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence (Ireland), Minister for Defence since Decembe ...
, was described as "furious" about the event, and in particular by the attendance of Dara Calleary. Calleary resigned as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on 21 August, stating in an interview to
MidWest Radio
MidWest Radio is a radio station based in County Mayo, Ireland. Officially opened in 1989 (having operated previously as an unlicensed station), its current studios are located on Clare Street, Ballyhaunis. The JNLR/MRBI radio listenership sur ...
that "
emade a big mistake.
eshouldn’t have gone to the function.
edidn’t want to let people down and
e takesresponsibility for that mistake".
He elaborated by saying his actions had undermined the work of
frontline workers in Ireland and he was deeply sorry for having done so.
Calleary's resignation made him the second Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to lose his job in
less than two months, following the sacking of
Barry Cowen
Barry Cowen (born 28 August 1967) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Laois–Offaly constituency since the 2020 general election, and previously from 2011 to 2016 and from 2016 to 2020 for the Offaly ...
on 14 July 2020 for a controversy surrounding
driving under the influence
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
of alcohol.
Coverage of Calleary's resignation was covered not just domestically, but also internationally, with the story featuring in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
, ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'',
Euronews
Euronews (styled on-air in lowercase as euronews) is a European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and covers world news from a European perspective.
The majority of Eurone ...
, ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'',
Politico
''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
, ''
Le Parisien
''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH.
Histor ...
'', ''
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'' (; ''FAZ''; "''Frankfurt General Newspaper''") is a centre-right conservative-liberal and liberal-conservativeHans Magnus Enzensberger: Alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen' (in German). ''Deutschland Radio'', ...
'', and ''
Ouest-France
''Ouest-France'' ( ; French for "West-France") is a daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on both local and national news. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régio ...
''. In addition to his ministerial role, Calleary resigned as deputy leader and national secretary of Fianna Fáil.
As well as the resignations of Calleary and Leas-Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, Jerry Buttimer, six senators who attended the event also
lost the party whip as punishment.
Speaking on ''
RTÉ News: Six One'' on Friday 21 August, Martin would not comment on the position of judge Séamus Woulfe – citing the need for legislature not to interfere with the judiciary in line with the
Constitution of Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland ( ga, Bunreacht na hÉireann, ) is the constitution, fundamental law of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people. The constitution, based on a system of representative democra ...
– but while he suggested that Phil Hogan should apologise for attending the event, Martin declined to comment on whether he should resign, saying that Hogan's position was a matter for the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
.
Following initial reluctance, Hogan subsequently apologised for his attendance at the event on 22 August.
President of Sinn Féin
The president of Sinn Féin ( ga, Uachtarán Shinn Féin) is the most senior politician within the Sinn Féin political party in Ireland. Since 10 February 2018, the office has been held by Mary Lou McDonald, following the decision of Gerry Adams ...
and
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
,
Mary Lou McDonald
Mary Louise McDonald (born 1 May 1969) is an Irish politician who has served as Leader of the Opposition in Ireland since June 2020 and President of Sinn Féin since February 2018. She has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Central const ...
, heavily criticised both the gathering and the government, stating that the government had "descended into new levels of chaos".
McDonald had requested that the Dáil be recalled from its summer recess, but this was initially rejected by Martin. In response, McDonald stated that Martin was wrong, that the government had lost its direction and that it needed to be held to account. McDonald also said that she had been unaware of the existence of an Oireachtas golf society, and questioned the ethics of an organisation that allowed wealthy donors to interact with members of the Oireachtas.
The
Leader
Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
of the
Labour Party,
Alan Kelly, said that not only had the government lost the confidence of the people, but also that he had rarely seen such public anger in response to a political issue as to the event. The co-leader of the
Social Democrats
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...
,
Catherine Murphy, called the event "inexcusable" and asked for the
Dáil to be reconvened.
While Martin resisted calls on 21 August to recall the Dáil – which was on summer break – the government announced on Sunday 23 August that the Dáil would return sooner than planned, most likely by Tuesday 15 September.
The
Garda Síochána
(; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...
announced on 21 August that they would be investigating the event to see if it breached the Health Act 1947, which was
amended on 20 March 2020 to include public health regulations pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the immediate wake of the scandal,
Ceann Comhairle
The (; "Head of heCouncil"; plural usually ) is the chairperson (or speaker) of , the lower house of the (parliament) of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the from among their number in the first session a ...
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (; born 17 April 1960) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as the Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann since March 2016. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare South constituency since 2002. He was a S ...
requested that the Oireachtas Golf Society be disbanded with immediate effect.
On 22 August the
Garda Commissioner
The Garda Commissioner ( ga, Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána) – officially known as the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána – is the head of the Garda Síochána, the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. The Garda Commissione ...
,
Drew Harris
Jeremy Andrew Harris, (born 5 April 1965), is the current Commissioner of the Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland, having assumed office in September 2018. He previously served as Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern ...
, used discretionary powers under the 2005 Garda Síochána Act to inform the government that Hogan had been stopped by the Garda Síochána in
County Kildare
County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county, ...
for using a mobile phone while driving – a criminal offence punishable by three penalty points and an €80 fine – on his way to Clifden.
Hogan's very presence in the county was an issue in itself, as it was under a local lockdown at the time, meaning that Hogan would have been entitled to travel to the county for essential purposes such as work, but not to leave again for non-essential purposes such as attending the golf dinner. In light of this, Martin and the
Tánaiste
The Tánaiste ( , ) is the deputy head of the government of Ireland and thus holder of its second-most senior office. The Tánaiste is appointed by the President of Ireland on the advice of the Taoiseach. The current office holder is former Taoi ...
,
Leo Varadkar
Leo Eric Varadkar ( ; born 18 January 1979) is an Irish politician who has served as Taoiseach since December 2022, and previously from 2017 to 2020. He served as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment from June 2020 to De ...
, changed their stance on Hogan retaining his European Commission portfolio; Martin publicly suggested that Hogan should "reconsider his position", and the
President of the European Commission
The president of the European Commission is the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU). The President of the Commission leads a Cabinet of Commissioners, referred to as the College, collectively account ...
,
Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; Albrecht, born 8 October 1958) is a German politician who has been serving as the president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 an ...
, requested a detailed report from Hogan on the matter.
The
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage ( ga, An tAire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The ...
,
Darragh O'Brien
Darragh O'Brien (born 8 July 1974) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage since June 2020. He has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Fingal constituency since the 2016 ge ...
, called on Hogan to resign, while the
Minister of State for European Affairs
The Minister of State for European Affairs is a Minister of State (Ireland), junior ministerial post at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland), Department of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Ireland wi ...
,
Thomas Byrne, stated that what he called Hogan's "unclear answers" on the issue damaged confidence in politics and the EU, and that President von der Leyen must consider this when considering Hogan's report.
It was announced on 24 August that the Supreme Court had requested a former Chief Justice,
Susan Denham
Susan Jane Denham, SC (''née'' Gageby; born 22 August 1945) is a retired Irish judge who served as Chief Justice of Ireland from 2011 to 2017, she was the first woman to hold the position. She served as a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1992 to ...
, to report on Woulfe's attendance at the dinner, including the question of whether he should have accepted the invitation and whether "he should in all the circumstances have left the hotel in light of the situation prevailing". On the same day, it was also reported that former Taoiseach and Leader of Fine Gael,
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2011 to 2017, Leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2017, Minister for Defence from May to July 2014 and 2016 to 2017, Leader of the Opposition from ...
, had participated in the golf competitions arranged as part of the event, but declined to participate in the gala dinner, telling others that he thought it was "a bad idea" and would "send out the wrong signal to the general public". RTÉ announced that further projects involving Seán O'Rourke, which had been planned, would not now proceed.
On 25 August, Hogan published a timeline of his movements since his he arrival in Ireland from Brussels on 31 July, including new details of a trip to
Adare to play golf on 13 August. It was noted that Hogan was admitted to a Dublin hospital on 5 August, where he tested negative for COVID-19; he was discharged from hospital and returned to a temporary residence in County Kildare the following day. On 7 August, hours before a local lockdown was enforced in Kildare, Hogan travelled to
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the cou ...
; from there, he travelled to Dublin for essential work purposes on 12 August. After playing golf in Adare on 13 August, he returned to Kilkenny, and travelled to Clifden via Kildare on 17 August. Hogan participated in the golf competitions on 18 and 19 August and subsequently attended the gala dinner, before returning to his temporary residence in Kildare on 21 August, and subsequently to Brussels the following day. Following publication of this timeline, reports appeared in the media claiming that Hogan had been seen at public restaurants with other individuals during this period, including on the evening of his arrival in Ireland, and that he had made a further trip to
County Roscommon
"Steadfast Irish heart"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Connacht
, subdi ...
on 17 August for social purposes; these previously undisclosed details were seen as contradicting Hogan's own timeline.
Martin, Varadkar and the
Leader of the Green Party,
Eamon Ryan
Eamon Michael Ryan (born 28 July 1963) is an Irish Green Party politician who has served as Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport since June 2020 and Leader of the Green Party since May 2011. He ha ...
, released a joint statement on 25 August, stating that while it is clear Hogan breached COVID-19 public health guidelines, they welcomed his apology. Facing increased pressure in both Brussels and Dublin, Phil Hogan resigned as Trade Commissioner on 26 August.
On 9 November, correspondence between Mr Justice
Frank Clarke and Mr Justice Woulfe were published in which the Chief Justice reprimanded Woulfe for his response to the scandal and stated that it was his opinion that Woulfe should resign in order to avoid continuing serious damage to the judiciary. The Government responded on 10 November by acknowledging the serious constitutional issues that have arisen as a result of this.
The scandal was compared to the earlier
Dominic Cummings scandal
The Dominic Cummings scandal, or the Dominic Cummings affair, was a series of events involving the British political strategist Dominic Cummings during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The events include at least one journey that Cumm ...
that occurred in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
Criminal prosecution
In February 2021, it was announced by the
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members o ...
that four people would be criminally prosecuted for their role in organising the event. Amongst the four were Noel Grealish and Donie Cassidy. In May, Grealish was issued a summons for a court date of 22 July. The case was adjourned until 28 October. It was revealed on 28 October that the trial would get under way in early January 2022 and could take five days to be heard as there are over 50 witnesses. The four men (Grealish, Cassidy, along with James and John Sweeney, of the Station House Hotel in Clifden) went on trial on 6 January 2022, charged with breaching the COVID-19 regulations. District Court Judge Mary Fahy dismissed all the charges on 3 February. The Court concluded: “They were all responsible people who would not have gone to a dinner unless they felt comfortable and unless the organisers had not put in place all that was required to make it safe." Grealish said he was "delighted with the outcome". Donie Cassidy, described as being emotional when leaving the court, said he was always a lawmaker and never a law-breaker.
See also
*
Katherine Zappone controversy
The Katherine Zappone controversy, also known as the Merrion Hotel controversy or Merrion Gate, was a political scandal in Ireland involving associates and former colleagues of former Minister for Children Katherine Zappone who attended an outd ...
*
Dominic Cummings scandal
The Dominic Cummings scandal, or the Dominic Cummings affair, was a series of events involving the British political strategist Dominic Cummings during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The events include at least one journey that Cumm ...
*
British government staff Christmas parties controversy
*
Witman Hung partygate
Witman Hung partygate refers to a political scandal in Hong Kong that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. A banquet was held at a tapas bar in Wan Chai on 3 January 2022, during the fifth wave of COVID-19 pandemic, to celebrate the 53rd birt ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oireachtas Golf Society scandal
2020 in Irish politics
2020 in the Republic of Ireland
2020 scandals
August 2020 events in Ireland
COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
Micheál Martin
Political scandals in the Republic of Ireland