The Kenneally political dynasty and the paedophile who could have been Mayor
Bill Kenneally pictured behind (right) Brendan Kenneally TD, in 1991
(Note: This is an excerpt from a Special Report published in the Waterford News & Star. You can read the full story here)
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 of abuse 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.
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.”
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, 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.
