Gary Matthews Solicitors

A protestant worker who claimed he was “intimidated” out of a Dundalk factory because his colleagues played “anti-British” songs on repeat has had his claim for sectarian harassment rejected.

One song included the lyrics “go home you British bastards”, the Workplace Relations Commission was told.

His former employer told the commission, however, that the worker had an “agenda” and “was never going to accept” the outcome of an internal appeals process.

Glen Weir lodged a complaint under Section 77 of the Employment Equality Act against his former employer, Anord Mardix (Ireland) Ltd of North Link Business Park, Coes Road, Dundalk Co Louth, alleging religious discrimination by way of harassment.

To read the full story please visit:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/protestant-who-claimed-intimidation-when-colleagues-played-anti-british-songs-has-claim-rejected-41533556.html

A judge has warned the parents of two “school shy” children that she will send them both to prison unless their children have a 100pc attendance record in school from now on.

Kilrush District Court heard a 15-year-old girl has not attended school at all in the current school year while her 11-year-old brother has missed 80 out of 117 school days.

Judge Mary Larkin was told that the girl’s mother informed a Tusla education welfare officer that her daughter was not attending school because “she didn’t like it” and suffers from “anxiety”.

The welfare officer said that the boy was not attending school because of “headaches” and that he was being bullied at school, but she stated there was no evidence to support the bullying claim.

To read the full story please visit:
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/judge-threatens-to-jail-parents-of-truant-children-who-missed-school-over-headaches-and-anxiety-41551119.html

A woman who was hit by a train near her home in Co Tipperary as a child a decade ago has settled her High Court action for €400,000.

Mary Ryan was nine-years-old when the incident happened at Tipperary town on the Waterford- Limerick Junction line.

Approving the settlement, reached without admission of liability, Mr Justice Garrett Simons said that if the proceedings were to go to full hearing there was a risk that the award would be less than the €400,000 offered.

This was because the plaintiff, who had a premorbid diagnosis of autism and associated learning disability, might not succeed in persuading the trial judge that there was a causal connection between the 2012 accident and the subsequent health difficulties she suffered, including the onset of epilepsy and a stroke some six years ago, he said.

To read the full story please visit:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/woman-hit-by-train-a-decade-ago-settles-high-court-action-for-400-000-1.4848135