Guests at Oireachtas Golf Society dinner did not wear masks, court told

One of the hotel staff who worked at the event at the heart of the “Golfgate” trial in Galway has said that none of the guests were wearing masks when they arrived for the function that evening.

Waitress, Sarah Griffiths, told the Galway District Court that about 80 people had attended the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner, the organisation of which ultimately led to the current case.

Independent TD Noel Grealish and former Fianna Fáil senator Donie Cassidy, along with hoteliers John Sweeney and James Sweeney, each deny they organised the event in breach of pandemic restrictions at the Station House Hotel in Clifden on August 19th, 2020.

Guests had started arriving into the hotel around 7pm and started coming into the function room around 7.30pm, Ms Griffiths recalled.

“Some were sitting (at their tables) and some were standing, talking.

“All the staff wore masks or visors but none of the guests wore them. Some of the guests went to the bar to order their own drinks but most sat down and were served drinks at their tables,” she said.

She, her brother Ethan, and another waitress, Ellen Conway, both of whom also gave evidence, moved around the tables serving canapés to guests before the meal.

In reply to Mr Eoghan Cole BL, prosecuting, she said the room had been split by a partition into the Omey Suite on one side and the Kylemore Suite on the other.

‘Gap in the middle’

“There was a gap in the middle of the room which was a door-wide for access to the bar and kitchen for staff,” she said.

Mr Cole asked her to describe the table layout.

She recalled the dinner started at 9.30pm and there were five tables in the front section and four tables in the second section with between six and ten people at each table.

She agreed with the Edward Walsh SC for the Sweeneys that she and other staff had undergone rigorous training in relation to Covid guidelines and that the Sweeneys had a “hands-on, meticulous” approach to doing everything necessary to comply with keeping everyone safe in their hotel.

Garda Inspector Peter Conlon, of the Protective Services Unit in Galway, gave evidence that he was acting Superintendent for the Salthill/Clifden district when he became aware on August 21st, 2020, of an event at the hotel in Clifden on August 19th, that may have been in breach of the relevant Covid-19 regulations in force at the time.

He said he became aware Sergeant Patricia Grady and Garda John Donoghue had spoken to the Sweeneys about the Oireachtas Golf Society event.

He explained he was responsible for overseeing the Garda investigation as he was acting Superintendent at the time.

He confirmed he became aware of the event through reading his colleagues’ statements following their interaction with the Sweeneys.

Both John and James Sweeney, he said, provided all information to Sgt Grady when requested regarding the event; who organised it, who attended, its location and what took place.

He said he corresponded with the Sweeneys, seeking further information and was told in response that on legal advice, the information he sought would not be provided, because they were not compelled to provide it.

Insp. Conlon said he also corresponded with Donie Cassidy and with Deputy Noel Grealish and received correspondence back from either of them.

He said he wrote to Mr Cassidy on September 19th, 2020 regarding the alleged breaches of the regulations, informing him that it had been widely reported in the media that he was involved in organising the event and that if the guidelines were not followed at the time, he could face prosecution.

He asked to be told who had booked the hotel, where was the booking made and what hotel staff been involved.

Inspector Conlon also asked in the letter whether Mr Cassidy provided all the names and contact details of attendees to the hotel, and whether or not guests had paid for drinks at the bar or had been served at tables.

“What steps did you put in place to comply with the Health Act as organiser of this event?”, he asked Mr Cassidy.

Receipts and invoices

He also asked for receipts and invoices pertaining to the event and a list of those who spoke at the event.

The inspector also looked for proof of Mr Cassidy’s correspondence with the Irish Hotels Federation regarding the regulations and guidelines for the hospitality industry which were in force at the time.

Mr Cassidy responded to the inspector’s letter on October 15th, 2020, stating the Society held the two-day event, at which only one dinner was held that year. He said the event had also been moved from the clubhouse at Ballyconneely to the hotel to ensure full compliance with Covid regulations.

He was assured by the hotel the event would be fully compliant and he contacted the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) to ensure the event could go ahead.

He told the inspector he and Mr Grealish visited the hotel the week before the event and were satisfied the function room was divided in two in a manner that was adequate to satisfy the 50-people rule.

He said he arrived on the Monday at the hotel and contacted the IHF again on the Wednesday morning to ask them again for advice, having heard new guidelines were being announced, and was told the changes would not affect the function that evening as they were not coming into effect until a few days later.

However the IHF, he said, told him on the Thursday and again on the Friday it was still seeking clarification on the new guidelines, which would restrict indoor dining to just six in each group of people.

The IHF also told him, he said, that Fáilte Ireland were in the process of updating the guidelines which would be in place the following week.

The new rules were not in force at the time of the golfing event, he said, in his letter to the inspector.

‘No role’

Mr Cole said Mr Cassidy subsequently received correspondence from the IHF on August 23rd in the form of a media release regarding the dinner which took place two nights beforehand. It stated: “The IHF provides general advice and had no role in giving clearance for this event…”

At this point Mr Cole noted the time was approaching 4pm and he suggested the trial be adjourned until it resumed again in February.

Mr Michael McDowell SC got to his feet and requested his client, Mr Grealish’s statement to the Gardaí be read into evidence before this part of the hearing concluded.

Judge Fahy agreed to allow it and Mr Cole read the document into evidence.

It stated that in July, 2020, Mr Grealish was the out-going captain of the Oireachtas Golf Society. On July 3rd, he said he went with Mr Cassidy to Ballyconneely Golf Club as his Captain’s Day outing was to be held there on August 18th.

He said the Golf Club President, Donie Cassidy also attended.

They both went to the Station House Hotel afterwards where Mr Cassidy had planned to hold the President’s dinner on Wednesday, August 19th, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Society and honour the late Mark Killilea.

“I understood and was assured at all times by Donie Cassidy and the hotel that the planned President’s Day dinner function would be run fully in compliance with all Covid-19 rules and regulations.

“My Captain’s Day outing took place on August 18th and there was no Captain’s dinner that evening,” Mr Grealish’s statement said.

“I raised a concern with Donie Cassidy on the Wednesday morning during breakfast at the hotel, regarding proposed new guidelines which it was reported had been agreed at Cabinet the previous day - August 18th.

“Donie Cassidy said he would call the chairman of the IHF and seek guidance from him. Donie left the restaurant to make that call. He returned after ten minutes and informed me that the existing guidelines were still in place and would have effect until any new guidelines were signed into law by the Minister.

“He said that information would be passed onto the hotel also.

“As Donie Cassidy is a very experienced hotelier who owns and operates four hotels of his own, I did not query the matter any further.

“I am not aware of any breach of the regulations that were then in force having occurred on the 18th and 19th of August in relation to the President’s dinner.

I had no responsibilty for the arrangements in relation to the dinner event and had no dealings with the hotel management in relation to that event.

“I believe that if there was any correspondence on booking for the holding of the President’s dinner, it would have occurred between Donie Cassidy and the hotel,” Mr Grealish’s statement concluded.

Judge Fahy then adjourned the case until February 3rd. She informed counsel she had set aside both February 3rd and 4th to conclude the hearing.