A WOMAN WHO made a number of allegations online against former 2FM presenter Eoghan McDermott last year has said a number of the statements she made were false and she regrets “publishing the inaccuracies”.
Through her solicitor, she has accepted that she was above the age of consent when they met, that she falsely claimed McDermott fled the country as a result of the claims and that it was wrong of her to retweet unfounded allegations of sexual assault by third parties.
In a statement today, McDermott spoke of the false allegations made against him a number of months ago.
“Despite not being investigated or verified, these allegations were spread widely, the effects of which I am still processing. I hope the below can close this chapter,” he said.
McDermott shared a legal letter on behalf of a woman who had, through an anonymous Twitter account, posted tweets last year relating to the presenter.
The letter, from Mary Cowhey & Co solicitors to McDermott’s legal representation Gateley Tweed Solicitors, states that their client was willing to make a number of clarifications through their office.
It states their client “made false allegations against your client Mr McDermott”.
At the request of and with consideration for the other party to this dispute, I will not be commenting any further on this matter. pic.twitter.com/8NI8fEhSSv
— Eoghan McDermott (@eoghanmcdermo) March 2, 2022
“These remarks arose out of a relationship which they had some years previously, in or around October 2010,” it states.
“Our client accepts that there were a number of serious falsehoods contained in her publications, which have caused distress to your client and those closest to him.
Our client sincerely regrets publishing the inaccuracies contained in those publications and acknowledges that they have had a harmful effect on your client and those close to him.
The letter states that these inaccuracies “were the product of the elapse of time since 2010 and the published tweets”.
“They also stemmed out of an unreasonable reliance placed on false information from third parties.”
The correspondence states that the woman accepts, without reservation, that she was above the age of consent at the time that she and McDermott “met or engaged in a physical relationship, contrary to her original claim”.
“She acknowledges the severity of this false claim and retracts it unequivocally”, it continued.
“Our client also accepts, without reservation, that she falsely claimed that your client had fled the country on account of these claims.
Our client also fully accepts that the assertion that named members of your clients family are members of An Garda Síochána, or that they exerted any influence within An Garda Síochána with the intention of perverting the administration of justice, was inaccurate and unfounded.
“Our client also accepts that it was wrong for her to retweet and tweet unfounded allegations of sexual assault by third parties.
“Our client also accepts that it was entirely false to allege that your client was engaged in illegal drug use in a work-related video. ”
The letter also states that the woman accepts that McDermott “fundamentally disputes our client’s version of events of what occurred between them during the course of their relationship”.
It further states that she has deleted the statements she published on Twitter and on Reddit and undertakes not to republish them on any forum, public or private.
The woman who made the allegations is not named in the correspondence. The letter acknowledges McDermott’s efforts to resolve the matter in a “manner that can ensure our client retains her anonymity”.
Separately, McDermott has filed legal proceedings against Twitter. Solicitor Phelim O’Neill, who is representing McDermott in these proceedings, declined to comment on the action. Twitter also declined to comment.
In March last year RTÉ confirmed McDermott, who had not been on air for approximately three weeks at that time, would not be returning to the station.
McDermott co-presented 2FM Breakfast with Doireann Garrihy, who remained on the show.
At the time the broadcaster said McDermott’s contract was “due to expire shortly” and that he would not be returning to the station.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say