Defamation case brought against Eoghan Harris’s wife, Gwen Halley, over tweets

A journalist has initiated defamation proceedings against the wife of former senator and Sunday Independent columnist Eoghan Harris over posts from a pseudonymous Twitter account.

The proceedings by Aoife Moore, political correspondent with the Examiner newspaper, against Gwen Halley, were lodged earlier this week in the High Court.

Ms Moore is being represented by Belfast-based Phoenix Law. She has already taken separate proceedings against Mr Harris over posts by another Twitter account which operated under the pseudonym Barbara Pym.

Mr Harris was sacked by the Sunday Independent last year after he admitted being involved with others in the running of the Barbara Pym account.

In defending claims that account posted tweets which were misogynistic, abusive and defamatory, he has claimed the posts were fair political comment.

Mr Harris later said he alone was behind the Barbara Pym account.

Twitter suspended the Barbara Pym account as well as other accounts believed to be linked to that account, including a Dolly White account which the High Court was previously told that Ms Halley was behind.

Ms Halley, also a former Sunday Independent journalist, has told the Irish Independent she will be defending Ms Moore’s defamation action.