A school has agreed to stop its disciplinary process against a teacher who says she was wrongly identified as the so-called GAA catfish, the High Court has heard.
Last month, Niamh Farrell secured a short-term injunction restraining Coláiste Éanna from continuing the disciplinary process against her.
It initiated the process following what she claims were false allegations online identifying her as the person responsible for “catfishing” various individuals in activities that were the subject of several podcasts by entertainment duo The 2 Johnnies.
Catfishing involves using false online identities to deceive other people, often in an attempt to lure them into a relationship.
Ms Farrell’s senior counsel, Conor Power, instructed by Daly Khursid Solicitors, told Mr Justice Brian Cregan on Wednesday the dispute had been resolved. He said the school had agreed to stop the disciplinary process.
Mr Power said the school would withdraw a report prepared by its principal as part of the disciplinary process. The report referred to the alleged activities of the “GAA catfish” and, Ms Farrell said, seemed to consider that she admitted to being the catfish.
Mr Power told the judge the case could be struck out, with an order for legal costs in favour of his client.
Fechín McDonagh SC, instructed by Mason Hayes & Curran, for the school, gave consent for a strike out.
Mr Justice Cregan made the order to strike out the proceedings.
Asked by Mr Justice Cregan if the resolution meant Ms Farrell had been wrongly identified, Mr Power said the school had ceased the disciplinary process, which was his client’s goal, he said.
Arising from her identification and allegations made against her, Ms Farrell, from The Spires, Portadown, Co Armagh, had faced a disciplinary process initiated by Coláiste Éanna, an all-boys secondary school on Ballyroan Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16. She has worked there as a music teacher since 2019.
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In a sworn statement to the court, Ms Farrell said she was concerned the school was relying on a “completely flawed and unlawful” disciplinary process in an effort to dismiss her because of “the public attention that focused on the school and pressure from some parents”.
Podcasts by The 2 Johnnies in 2022 described the alleged activities of an individual who created fictitious social-media profiles to communicate with others, often men, many of whom were involved in the GAA community.
The podcasters published a follow-up episode on the subject in January. The podcasts did not name the individual alleged to have carried out the catfishing activities.
Ms Farrell says she became aware in 2022 of being falsely associated online with the alleged catfish by people unknown to her. She said she was informed in early March about an investigation report prepared by the school’s principal for a disciplinary process.
The report, which is being withdrawn, refers to the alleged activities of the “GAA catfish” and, Ms Farrell said, “seems to consider that I have admitted to being that person”.
Ms Farrell said she had always denied being the person responsible, including to the principal.
