JUDGE JOHN Neilan reacted angrily to a local newspaper article relating to comments he had made to a group of school children in Athlone District Court last week.
Referring to the author of the article as “some genius”, Judge Neilan said the piece was “absolutely offensive in the extreme”.
Speaking at a sitting of Athlone District Court yesterday, he admitted he was “not a great reader of papers” but the article, printed in a free newspaper, had arrived through his letter-box.
He said it suggested he had left the primary school children “confused” after a rambling “diatribe” relating to the dangers of alcohol and drugs.
Accusing the author of having no knowledge of children or the meaning of “diatribe”, Judge Neilan said, “I would like to remind the author that children of a tender years have minds of their own.”
He recommended the reporter read the Ryan report on the abuse of children in residential care.
Unfortunately for all young people in society, at some point “you will see drugs and you will be offered drugs”, he said, adding that he deals with young children engaged in the abuse of alcohol and drugs on a regular basis.
Judge Neilan took exception to the contention he had lectured the children: “I spoke to them, I did not lecture.”
He described as a “blatant lie”, a claim that people under 18 were not allowed in his court room, “in fact the whole article is a blatant lie as far as I am concerned”, he continued.
The judge said he had “never ever seen such rubbish printed in all my life”.