Little bother at the bar
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Friday October 05 2007
Defence Minister Willie O'Dea last night admitted involvement in a second embarrassing pub row.
Minister O'Dea flatly denies allegations made to gardai by an aggrievedcustomer in a Limerick pub prior to the controversy over his alleged verbal altercation with Shannon campaigners.
The Irish Independent last night confirmed that a man made a complaint about the minister after an encounter in a different city centre pub in recent times.
Minister O'Dea confirmed through a spokesperson that there had been an incident.
"Minister O'Dea was confronted by a man in the Bank bar two weeks ago, who aggressively expressed his negative opinion of Fianna Fail and political matters in the media that day. The minister walked away and let bar staff deal with the individual," the spokesperson said.
Garda sources have separately confirmed that a member of the public made a complaint to officers regarding "an altercation" with Minister O'Dea.
Complaint
The man made the complaint to the Garda Station on Henry Street in Limerick on Saturday at lunchtime, ironically just hours before the minister's second confrontation in South's pub with the Shannon activists.
"A gentleman made a report confirming an altercation with the minister, but did not make a written statement of complaint," said the garda source.
"He wanted gardai to note that he was reporting this altercation which took place in the days beforehand in the Bank pub," continued the source.
When asked if he wanted to make a written complaint, the man replied that he would think about it for a few days.
However, he has made no written complaint to officers since, the garda sources said.
The Bank bar is located on O'Connell Street, less than 100 yards from South's pub.
Backing up Minister O'Dea's version of events, a spokesman for the Bank bar said there was "no issue on the night".
"There was no trouble whatsoever," said the spokesman.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday backed Minister O'Dea after reports emerged of the Saturday's night incident in South's pub.
Minister O'Dea vehemently denied that he asked well known businessman, John Fahey, outside the pub for a fight and says he has witnesses to back him up.
Support
Minister O'Dea's assistant, Fergal O'Brien, and friend Tom Fitzgibbon, a long time supporter of the minister, both support his version.
The minister said he did not approach and verbally abuse Mr Fahey and Geraldine Morrissey, a SIPTU official and spokesperson for the Shannon Action Group.
But Mr Fahey and Ms Morrissey are both upset and claim Mr O'Dea is calling them liars.
Mr Fahey, former manager of the Limerick Inn Hotel says: "The minister said 'I would like to hit you' and I said 'if you were any bigger I would let you'."
The incident happened at around 10.30pm on Saturday in the crowded pub, just after Tanaiste Brian Cowen had left the premises.
After Mr Cowen left, Mr O'Dea returned to the pub to collect his wife, Geraldine, when the row happened over the Shannon issue.
The Minister denies he said about Mr Fahey: "Who is that big p***k?"
And he also rejects suggestions he said to Ms Morrissey: "I don't give a f*** about you."
Mr O'Dea admitted he may have been "dismissive" and gave different versions of what he may have said to the pair, including "get lost", "sod off", "feck off" or "lump off", but nothing stronger.
