“We can confirm that there has been only ONE source of complaints against Stephen Manning since June 2009”

An Garda Síochána

“Only ONE person lodged complaints about this referee to the local soccer authorities during the period 2007-2009.”

Local Soccer Authority

“The officials of only ONE soccer club in Mayo refused to cooperate with the investigation.”

FAI Investigating Officer

“We have absolutely no concerns whatsoever..”

HSE Child Protection Services (in response to anonymous allegations, also posted online)

“He has been fully vetted and cleared by the FAI, An Garda Síochána, Special Olympics and two other international sports agencies..”

Over 700 incidents of harassment, intimidation, property damage and abuse against Mr Manning and his family have been documented since June 2009..

“Five separate criminal investigations into these incidents are ongoing.. and files have been sent to the DPP.”

An Garda Síochána

“He is not suing the local soccer club. He is suing the individuals responsible for constructing and publishing a defamatory letter, who, despite several offers, have repeatedly refused to retract and apologise. He is simply trying to clear his name.”

Counsel for the Plaintiff

Feb 22nd 2011 - Westport Circuit Court awards all costs and maximum damages against the nine co-defendants.

(See Mayo News article here)

Feb - March 2011 - Defendants initiate a costly appeals process stating they will ‘seeks costs’ against the plaintiff.

March 2011 - Gardai confirm that ‘suspects have been arrested with a view to criminal prosecutions’.

May 2011 - Defendants request ‘settlement talks’ but no defendants turn up at the venue. Plaintiff insists that any money offered in compensation must NOT come from Achill Rovers Soccer Club - but only from the individuals responsible.

July 2011 - After six adjournments, a judicial review orders that the case be heard again in the Circuit Court.

Sept 2011 - Office of DPP decides no prosecutions will ensue. Gardai and DPP refuse to disclose identities of suspects.

Dec 7th 2011 - Case is listed in Castlebar. Defendants make approaches to settle out of Court again, but plaintiff insists on a statement of vindication, and confirmation that any compensation will NOT come from Achill Rovers. He gets no response.  

Tues Feb 14th 2012 - Case listed again for hearing at Westport Circuit Court. Lead defendant not in attendance due to alleged illness. Some evidence heard. Judge describes some of the anonymous attacks against the Mannings as ‘horrific stuff’. Case carried over to Feb 16th in Ballina.

Wed Feb 15th 2012 - Plaintiff discovers three previously unseen written statements indicating perjury on the part of two defence witnesses and a deliberate conspiracy both before and after-the-fact concerning the defamatory letter.

Thurs Feb 16th 2012 - Lead defendant makes miraculous recovery to attend Court. Defendants make several efforts to ‘settle’ the case including offers of financial compensation and the reading out of a formal apology in Court. Plaintiff rejects their belated apology as misleading, contrived and insincere, and presents a statement of truth for them to sign.

Judge denounces original defamatory letter as, ‘utterly malicious.. and false.. at least in parts.’

Newspaper report of the hearing here.  

This information is reluctantly, but necessarily posted online in an effort to counteract a number of pernicious falsehoods circulating locally and online regarding the facts of the defamation case, and a number of issues surrounding it.

Because Court proceedings are ongoing concerning certain affiliated matters, as well as a number of criminal investigations into activities that arose out of the publication of the original defamatory letter, we can only post certain details here. Full details will be updated as-and-when we are legally allowed to do so.