Former Haughey groom gets damages

A groom who worked in stables owned by former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, has settled her action alleging defamation against…

A groom who worked in stables owned by former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, has settled her action alleging defamation against Examiner Publications (Cork) Ltd, the High Court was told yesterday. Mr Garret Cooney SC, for Ms Ruth Henderson of Wedgwood Estate, Sandyford, Dublin, said the proceedings arose out of an article published in the Irish Examiner on June 15th, 1999.

Counsel for Examiner Publications said Ms Henderson had been employed by Mr Haughey as a groom at Abbeville in the early 1970s. She had witnessed his fall from a horse which had caused him serious injury. Shortly afterwards, she had given to the media an accurate and truthful account of what she had seen.

In its statement, Examiner Publications said the references it had published about Ms Henderson had implied serious personal misconduct on her part and an improper relationship with Mr Haughey. The statement said the Irish Examiner now specifically retracted all of these references and offered its profound and sincere apologies to Ms Henderson and her family. It also wished it to be known that it has paid Ms Henderson damages.