The world of Irish swimming has seen appalling series of child sexual abuse scandals. George Gibney, Derry O'Rourke, Frank McCann and Ger Doyle were all trusted coaches who betrayed their athletes in the worst possible way. This is the definitive account of the tragic abuse scandals.
Category: True Crime
In November 2009 former national and Olympic swimming coach Ger Doyle was convicted of thirty-five sexual offences against children. This is just the most recent of an appalling series of child sexual abuse scandals in Irish swimming. Long before Ger Doyle was charged, renowned swimming coaches George Gibney, Derry O'Rourke and Frank McCann had become synonymous with some of the worst crimes against children ever to come before the Irish courts; Fr Ronald Bennett, founder of the Schools Swimming Association, was also charged with sexual assaults against his pupils. All these coaches, the most respected in the sport, preyed on young swimmers. They exploited their dreams of greatness and betrayed the trust of their parents. Between them, they are believed to have left hundreds of victims in their wake. And the failure of the sport's authorities to respond adequately to complaints paved the way for the abuse of many more young victims.
In candid interviews, survivors outline the effects of the abuse - psychiatric illnesses, broken marriages, financial hardship, and alcohol and drug addiction. Deep Deception examines the structures of Irish swimming, looks at the reasons these men escaped justice for so long and assesses the measures that have been taken to protect children in the aftermath of the scandals. This updated edition includes new chapters and previously unpublished material.
JUSTINE MCCARTHY is an award-winning journalist with The Sunday Times and a frequent broadcaster. She is also the author of Mary McAleese: The Outsider.
'all people involved in sport and households should have a copy of Deep Deception'
'bristles with anger, glows with compassion and asks some difficult questions … a thoroughly researched and readable work'
'Heartrending'
'mandatory reading for every parent'
'This is a story that needed to be written. All the victims have ever asked for is justice and for people to know what happened. Now, thanks to Justine McCarthy, they do.'
'hard-hitting'
'very compellingly written'
'damning but compelling … essential reading' ‘the best of the large crop of books by Irish journalists this year, it grows beyond its immediate subject to become a terrifying anatomy of the capacity for denial and vilification within any enclosed world
'it grows beyond its immediate subject to become a terrifying anatomy of the capacity for denial and vilification within any enclosed world'
‘Deep Deception by Justine McCarthy delves deep into the darkest times in Irish swimming, uncovering disturbing truths of child sex abuse.’
'very compellingly written'
'hard-hitting'
'it grows beyond its immediate subject to become a terrifying anatomy of the capacity for denial and vilification within any enclosed world'
'This is a story that needed to be written. All the victims have ever asked for is justice and for people to know what happened. Now, thanks to Justine McCarthy, they do.'
'mandatory reading for every parent'
'all people involved in sport and households should have a copy of Deep Deception'
'Heartrending'
'bristles with anger, glows with compassion and asks some difficult questions … a thoroughly researched and readable work'
'damning but compelling … essential reading' ‘the best of the large crop of books by Irish journalists this year, it grows beyond its immediate subject to become a terrifying anatomy of the capacity for denial and vilification within any enclosed world
'a devastating read'
