Special Report: Bill Kenneally and Waterford's Open Secret

For decades, people knew.

Schools, sports clubs, senior clergy members, experienced politicians, parents, gardaí. They knew.

He was seen lurking with groups of boys in parks as they played soccer. He was seen taking them for spins in his car. He was seen prowling in changing rooms and showers after basketball games.

So why then was it that when a 14-year-old boy bravely walked all by himself into Waterford Garda Station in 1985 to tell gardaí that he had been abused by well-known paedophile Bill Kenneally, his complaint wasn’t taken seriously?

Why was it that when Bill Kenneally made admissions to two senior garda members in 1987, he was let walk and continue to abuse children for years?

Last week, after years of waiting, a landmark report carried out by The South East Commission of Investigation was finally published.

The 412-page document outlines how state bodies and individuals responded to the crimes committed by Bill Kenneally, a man who sexually abused boys in Waterford for decades.

The report found that there was no evidence of widespread state collusion in covering up his crimes, however, there was a serious dereliction of duty from Gardaí in responding to victims.

The report also criticises politicians, the Southeastern Health Board, senior members of the church and members of the public in Waterford in how they responded to serious and prolonged allegations of abuse against Bill Kenneally.

The following Waterford News & Star coverage contains excerpts from the Commission’s final report, which was diligently Chaired and sensitively articulated by retired High Court Judge Michael White.

Also included in this article are interviews conducted by this newspaper with four of Bill Kenneally’s victims: Jason Clancy, Paul Walsh, Colin Power and Kevin Keating.

Decades of a predator

Bill Kenneally was a predatory sexual abuser operating in Waterford City and its environs. He had an intense sexual attraction to pubescent boys in early adolescence.

For decades, he used his position in local sports; soccer, tennis and basketball, to lure in countless victims. One victim told us he understands that over one hundred boys may have been abused by Kenneally.

In 2016, Kenneally was sentenced to 14 years and two months’ imprisonment for the indecent assault of 10 boys.

In 2023, he received an additional four years and six months for the indecent assault of five more boys, bringing his total sentence of 18 years and 8 months.

The offences to which he pleaded guilty, ranged from 1979 to 1990, however, his offending goes as far back as 1970.

Kenneally was not brought to justice prior to a formal complaint by one of his victim’s, Jason Clancy in December 2012.

Mr Clancy showed remarkable courage in being the first victim to waive anonymity. Over the next number of years, more victims would come forward to share their story with Gardaí.

Whether named or remaining unnamed, victims of Kenneally showed remarkable courage in recounting the atrocities that had been inflicted upon them in the pursuit of justice being served.

Routine abuse

Incidents of abuse by Bill Kenneally are outlined in grave detail in the South East Commission of Investigation’s final report, the scale of which is catastrophic.

Abuse occurred routinely, for many years, against countless victims.

Some boys were abused as frequently as twice a week, sometimes even more frequently than that. Some were abused into adulthood.

Abuse took place in Kenneally’s home, secluded wooded areas, car parks, beaches, roadsides and Kenneally’s place of work on the Dunmore Road.

He regularly used restraints including handcuffs and builder’s twine. Multiple boys recount having wire or twine placed around them and hoisted over an exercise bar, causing excruciating pain. Kenneally photographed them, asking them to smile.

Another victim said that upon receiving instructions from Kenneally, he and another boy tied him to a bedpost and then had to take turns to masturbate him. They were both 14 at the time and were in their school uniforms. One of the boys remembers that he was doing his Group Cert English exam later that morning.

Multiple victims recall watching pornographic films at Bill’s home.

Kenneally would regularly bring boys for spins in his car to secluded wooded areas, tie them to trees and assault them.

Assaults also regularly took place in his car. Boys began to recognise that whoever was sat in the front seat of the car would be the one who got abused that day.

He took advantage of vulnerable boys, telling them that his house in Summerville Avenue could be a safe place for them to go to escape their problems. Once there, he would assault them.

The Commission’s report describes Kenneally’s crimes as cruel and exploitative. He was intelligent and manipulative and an expert at grooming children by developing trust and affection but also using fear.

As reflected in the sentence of 18 years and 8 months imposed, and upheld on appeal, these were serious offences which have had a lifelong impact on the victims and their families.

“It has impacted every part of our lives. Personal lives, work, relationships, mental health, every single part of our lives. It’s always there,” victim Colin Power told this newspaper.

Ensuring silence

Kenneally lured boys in with offers of cash, alcohol, cigarettes, trips to takeaways and gifts that were tailored to the interests of specific victims.

Many of these boys had never consumed alcohol before being introduced to it by Bill Kenneally. Some would struggle with alcohol problems into adulthood.

He gifted victims with match programmes from English football games and American Football sports magazines, items that were very difficult to obtain in Ireland at the time.

Victims Jason Clancy and Colin Power tell a story about one particular Sunday when the boys were playing soccer together.

Jason said: “We both met Bill Kenneally through Sunday soccer. Around that time, Bill Kenneally bought me a brand-new Liverpool strip, he bought Colin a brand-new Man United strip. One Sunday, we were all on the pitch together and we noticed three other boys were also wearing brand new strips. Myself and Colin looked at each other and we knew. These boys were being abused too.”

Another victim, Kevin Keating said: “He (Bill) was able to do things. He would pick points about each individual, for Jason it was the Liverpool jersey, for me it was a Superbowl magazine. I cut out the pictures from the magazine and put them on my wall. I remember getting up in the morning seeing it and thinking it was lovely. It all seemed normal.”

Victim Paul Walsh recounts: “He would give you a few quid and you’d think you were great. Then he would give you cans. Then he got me Nike runners that no one had at that time. And then, you would owe it all back to him.

“It took me a long time to figure out that he had a system for all of this, and you were just a part of that system.”

Another form of blackmail Kenneally used was photographs.

He used a Polaroid camera which could instantly develop photos of victims in compromising positions. He retained possession of these photos as effective blackmail of the boys to preserve silence. Video tapes of boys were found in his home in as late as 2012.

Children were silenced by shame, and also their inability to articulate the horrible things happening to them, the Commission’s report states.

One victim told this newspaper that Kenneally would often assault multiple boys at once and have them perform sexual acts on each other. This created extreme embarrassment, which Kenneally hoped would prevent them from speaking out.

An open secret

Kenneally’s targeting of young boys for abuse was intense during the period from 1978 to 1987.

He kept company with boys in public places, behaved inappropriately in changing rooms and showers at sports grounds, took them for spins in his car during school hours.

In late 1987, knowledge of some of his activities became known in Waterford to two senior Garda officers, and some other Gardai, the Principal of the largest secondary school De La Salle, a psychiatrist, and to some parents of victims.

A senior Southeastern Health Board paediatrician, a GP and other parents were informed of matters that made them suspicious that Bill Kenneally abused children sexually.

The Kenneally family themselves were extremely influential in Waterford life through their work as prominent politicians and senior clergy members.

At different points in time, each of these powerful figures also became aware of Bill Kenneally’s activity.

Despite this, his abuse against boys would continue.

Nothing appropriate was done by institutions or individuals of authority in Waterford until December 2012 when Jason Clancy made the first formal complaint.

Jason said: “Bill Kenneally is a very sick man. I don’t hate Bill Kenneally, I hate what he did to us. But the people who protected him weren’t sick, and those are the people I hate.”

“They enabled him to run rampant through this city for four decades. They protected the worst paedophile in the history of the state.”

So who exactly was aware of Kenneally’s activity? And what, if anything, did they do about it?

An Garda Siochana

The failings of senior An Garda Siochana members is one of the Commission’s starkest findings.

Two senior garda members, Acting Chief Superintendent Sean Cashman and acting Superintendent PJ Hayes, are heavily implicated in the report.

Below are detailed key moments where gardaí were told firsthand of the abuse Kenneally was inflicting onto children.

In June 1985, a 14-year-old boy decided to report an incident of assault to gardaí in Waterford. He decided to do so on his own initiative, without telling his parents. He walked from his home by himself to Waterford Garda Station, approached the counter and spoke to a male Garda.

The victim named Bill Kenneally as his abuser.

The Garda did not speak to him in private and told him because of his age he would need to have an adult present.

No further steps were taken by the Garda officer to contact his parents or offer him a lift home.

This was a missed opportunity to stop Kenneally. The complaint should have been properly investigated, the Commission report states.

In 2023, Kieran McGrath, an expert on Child Sexual Abuse, spoke to the Commission.

He said that the garda officer in question did not deal with the matter correctly, regardless of the protocol that was in place at the time in how to deal with sexual assault allegations.

Mr. McGrath said: “When (victim name) went into the garda station as a 14-year-old and told the Garda what had happened to him and he wasn’t dealt with because he didn’t have an adult with him,

“I don’t think the guard there was conscious of the child abuse guidelines, but he should have been conscious of normal policing, which is, here is somebody reporting a crime, and it’s a sexual crime and he’s a child.

“So I wouldn’t be expecting the Garda then to be automatically thinking about the Department of Health guidelines at that point, I’d be expecting him to think about his job as a Garda, which is, here is a citizen, a young citizen reporting a serious crime, and how I am I going to deal with it?”

Another shocking dereliction of duty occurred on behalf of two very senior Garda members in Waterford in 1987. For the victims, this moment in particular is extremely upsetting.

In late 1987, the father of a 14-year-old boy informed acting Chief Superintendent of Waterford, Sean Cashman that his son had been abused by Kenneally.

After these allegations were made, Sean Cashman decided to contact the uncle of Bill Kenneally, the prominent former politician Billy Kenneally Snr, to inform him about his nephew’s alleged activities.

Acting on Cashman’s recommendation, Bill Kenneally was referred to psychiatrist Dr Michael Kelleher. This was arranged by Billy Kenneally Snr and Bill’s other uncle, Monsignor John Shine.

Admissions

A number of days later, Bill Kenneally was interviewed by Cashman and Acting Supt PJ Hayes in their office at Waterford Garda Station.

In this interview with both gardaí, Kenneally made admissions.

No further investigation occurred and the only outcome was that Bill Kenneally was referred for psychiatric counselling.

“The investigation started to go badly wrong from here to the conclusion. It was unprofessional, rushed and inappropriate,” the Commission’s report states.

Following the interview, Kenneally was not cautioned, proper notes were not taken, and he was not asked to come back and make a voluntary statement.

Bill Kenneally was not arrested and his house and car not searched. The report outlines that despite the absence of formal statements, there was enough evidence to legally ground a proper suspicion and thus enable arrest and search.

Because of the restraint used he could have been arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, and his house could have been searched. It is definite that the Polaroid images would have been found.

The Commission’s report said that contacting Billy Kenneally Snr was an unusual decision for Cashman to make. There was no need to do that, nor was any thought given to the implications.

By contacting an uncle of the suspect, he risked compromising the investigation before it started, as Bill Kenneally was alerted and could have destroyed evidence.

The political dynasty... and the paedophile who could have been Mayor

A phenomenon in Irish political life, the Political Dynasty; that a child and or grandchild of a prominent Dáil deputy succeed as the nominated candidate and be elected.

The Kenneally family were a political dynasty probably unparallel in Irish political life. They were extremely visible in Waterford’s political and social fabric.

For a period of 59 years, they represented Fianna Fáil as TDs, Senators, Mayors and Councillors.

The patriarch of the clan, William Kenneally, topped the poll in the 1954 General Election with 7,777 votes.

Thereafter, some Kenneally family members considered 7 to be a lucky number. In fact, several victims gave evidence that Bill Kenneally liked to give them money in denominations ending in “7”.

Bill Kenneally’s uncle was former Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kenneally snr.

Bill’s cousin is former Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally.

Bill Kenneally himself assisted in the tally at election counts as recently as 2011. Two victims gave evidence of him arriving at their doors canvassing during elections, incidents that had serious impacts on them.

Such was the political power of the Kenneally family, that Bill Kenneally could have actually been Mayor of Waterford City.

When giving evidence in 2024, Bill Kenneally volunteered evidence that he had been approached about the Waterford City Council seat vacated when his cousin Brendan Kenneally was appointed a Minister for State in 1992.

Part of the approach to him was he would likely become Mayor of Waterford in a few years if co-opted to the Council.

He declined the position, however, agreeing with the suggestion that “he had skeletons in his cupboard”.

Victim Jason Clancy said: “The biggest paedophile in the history of the state could have been the Mayor of this city. It is unbelievable.”

Billy Kenneally Snr

Both Billy Snr and Brendan Kenneally are heavily referenced in the Commission’s report for their lack of action, as is Bill’s other uncle, Monsignor Shine, a senior member of the Church in Waterford.

Over many years, Billy Kenneally Snr, Brendan Kenneally and Monsignor Shine all showed at the very least, a failure to bring the matter into the public domain to the extent of reporting the matter to the statutory agencies responsible for child protection.

First dealing with Billy Kenneally snr.

After being contacted by Garda Sean Cashman in 1987 about his nephew’s alleged abuse against children, Billy Kenneally Snr did not take any steps to notify either on the record or discreetly the Fianna Fáil Executive in charge of the Waterford constituency.

He also did not take any steps to notify either prominently or discreetly the basketball clubs Bill Kenneally was playing an active part in.

The Commission’s report also highlights that Billy Snr was not an ordinary member of the public, but an experienced former public representative.

There was information available in early 1988 about the issue if he had taken the time to research it.

Brendan Kenneally Jr

Brendan Kenneally Jr, the cousin of Bill, was first elected as a TD In 1989. He previously served as Mayor of Waterford City.

The Commission in its report has set out at some length the conflict of evidence as to the alleged knowledge of Brendan Kenneally before 2001 of sexual abuse by Bill Kenneally.

The Commission’s report says that there is no direct evidence of Brendan Kenneally having knowledge of his cousin’s sexual abuse prior to 2001, for example from a victim telling him directly.

The Commission cannot definitively on the balance of probabilities establish knowledge by Brendan Kenneally of Bill Kenneally’s sexual abuse of boys prior to 2001.

However, even without knowledge of the psychiatric referral in 1987, Brendan Kenneally’s actions in 2001 at the very least fell substantially below the standards the Commission would expect from a TD of Mr Kenneally’s experience.

But what happened in 2001, to apparently bring to Brendan Kenneally’s attention for the first time the abuse being committed by his cousin?

In 2001, the partner of a former victim of Bill Kenneally wanted to report his abuse to gardaí; however, the victim’s father was against the idea, worried for his son’s welfare and the publicity.

She still wanted to do something about it and decided to approach Brendan Kenneally, who was a TD at the time. She was only 23 years old and showed considerable courage in approaching him. She felt that because he was a political figure, he would have power to do something.

The Commission accepts that the victim’s wider family did not want this matter to be reported to An Garda Síochána, and thus Brendan Kenneally was entitled to respect those wishes of his constituents.

It is the Commission’s opinion, however, that to further the interests of his constituents, the family of the victim, and the public, Brendan Kenneally had one obvious option; to report this matter to the Child Protection Services of the Southeastern Health Board in Waterford and ask that service to carry out a risk assessment.

He should have spoken to Bill Kenneally and advised him to resign from Waterford Viking basketball club, and he should never have allowed him to continue to canvas and act as tallyman for him or the Fianna Fáil party.

The Church

Monsignor John Shine was Bill Kenneally’s uncle. He was a senior clergyman with a distinguished career.

Monsignor John Shine, along with Billy Kenneally Snr, knew in late 1987 and early 1988 that Bill Kenneally had sexually abused at least one child, and possibly another.

Monsignor Shine failed to bring the matter into the public domain at least to the extent of reporting the matter to the statutory agencies responsible for child protection.

The Commission’s report also criticised false statements that Shine provided to gardaí in 2013.

He told gardaí that he never heard about any further allegations of assault against Bill Kenneally after 1987.

This was an untrue statement, as he had been informed in 2001 that the abuse had continued long after the psychiatric intervention in 1987.

Boys left unheard: De La Salle and the South Eastern Health Board

Another name implicated in the South East Commission of Investigation’s report is Brother Columba Gallagher, the head brother of De La Salle College in the 1980s.

One victim, in his evidence to the Commission, said he informed Brother Columba about abuse that Bill Kenneally had inflicted upon him.

Brother Columba asked him to get proof.

The victim removed from the possession of Kenneally a photo of a naked boy tied up. He scratched out the face and gave it to Brother Columba.

Brother Columba did not say a lot upon receiving the photo, the Commission report states.

Brother Columba was also told by school staff that they had suspicions around Kenneally bringing students off in his car.

Brother Columba assured a member of staff that Kenneally would be dismissed that same evening. Months later, Kenneally was still there.

Brother Columba was in possession of significant information about the abuse perpetrated by Bill Kenneally but as far as the Commission can establish, he kept it to himself.

The South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) are another organisation that failed the victims.

The SEHB operated from 1970. In 2005, it was dissolved and superseded by the HSE.

In the late 80s, two victims of Bill Kenneally told Dr Geraldine Nolan of the South Eastern Health Board about the abuse they endured.

Under normal practice, a file from interviews with victim Kevin Keating was created by Dr Nolan.

Dr. Nolan said whilst being questioned by the Commission, that this file would have been sent to her superiors in 1989, namely Dr. Martin O’Boyle, the Director of Community Care, and Patrick Conaty, the Senior Social Worker.

The Commission was not able to ascertain why Dr O’Boyle and Mr Conaty were not made aware of the report. Dr Nolan was adamant it was sent.

When all the evidence, expert opinion, guidelines and protocols are considered, the South Eastern Health Board should have acted on the report, the Commission stated.

Additionally, Dr Nolan stated that she knew Supt Cashman and had met him around the same time to discuss setting up protocols and procedures with the gardaí.

Through these meetings, there was direct opportunity to raise the matter with An Garda Síochána. This opportunity was not taken.

The failure of the SEHB, to act on child protection, was a lost opportunity to stop Bill Kenneally’s continuing illegal activity and to produce accountability much earlier than 2012.

Kevin Keating, who was interviewed by Dr Nolan, told this newspaper:

“The South Eastern Health Board knew about the abuse. At the time, child protection was only starting to pick up pace, but Bill Kenneally was named by me and the other boy, and nothing was done about it.

“Handcuffs, rope, drink, porn, physical beatings, threats of violence, all of that was in my report with Dr Nolan. It was never followed up.”

The Commission’s report: A long and arduous journey

The procurement of the Commission’s report has been a long and arduous journey for the victims.

They told the Waterford News & Star that they feel vindicated at its findings, but that the release of the report was handled poorly.

The victims were sent the finalised report less than 24 hours before it was released to the public.

They expressed regret that they had very limited time to inform family and friends, travel to Dublin to host a press conference, and grapple with the emotional weight of reading the massive 417-page document.

They felt aggrieved that they had to make considerable efforts in the past week, and yet when Taoiseach Micheal Martin appeared in the Dáil last Wednesday to discuss the report, he himself said that he had not fully read through it.

The report recommends that the Law Reform Commission should urgently consider the absence of a criminal offence of “misconduct in public office” in this country.

The victims say the outcome they hope for now is that people in positions of authority will never be allowed to be cover up abuse against children ever again.

Jason Clancy said: “The report said there was no state collusion, but there was localised state collusion, that’s very evident.”

“There will always be Bill Kenneallys out there, but if people fail to stop them, they should be open to prosecution. It’s about targeting the people in power so that they can no longer enable or cover up. That’s the best outcome we can get.”

A State Apology will happen, and a group of victims will be meeting with Ministers in Dublin this Tuesday to discuss the matter further.

They say that a State Apology will be meaningful, however, more importantly is that the findings of the report are enacted into real change.

Bravery and resilience

Over the years, the victims of Bill Kenneally’s abuse, whether named or anonymous, showed extraordinary bravery and resilience.

The four men we met in the offices of the Waterford News & Star last week displayed these qualities in full.

They told us, that whether it be living with the trauma of their abuse, or going through the arduous journey of pursuing justice, they could not have done it without each other.

Kevin Keating said: “I wouldn’t have got through this Commission on my own, none of us would.

“We always knew we could phone someone or talk to each other.

“There were some days I would get up and felt I couldn’t face it, but I knew if I rang one of the lads, they would be there.

“For so many years before this went public, I was living a lie, but I’m much happier now in my life. Much more confident, much more capable.”

From 2012 onwards, victims began to waive their anonymity, a necessary burden to ensure Kenneally was imprisoned and the Commission would investigate state failures around the investigation.

However, there are so many others who remain anonymous, who must also be commended for their bravery and endurance in living with the abuse they endured.

Mr. Power said: “This commission is for all the victims, and I hope it brings them comfort. It’s an achievement for every victim, because we all went through this abuse.”

Concluding our interview, Jason Clancy said:

“Bill Kenneally’s organs are shutting down, he is very sick, and I don’t get any pleasure in that. This enquiry is coming to an end now, as is his life. It’s all finishing at once.

“We have been dealing with this for years, and now all we want is the normal life. We just want the normal everyday problems that everyone else has.

“We have all had the Kenneally cloud in our homes, impacting our lives and our families’ lives, and hopefully now it will be gone.”