The school where convicted abuser Derry O'Rourke was employed as a coach acted "promptly and decisively" when a complaint was made about him in August 1993, the report found. It said the school, which had been involved in swimming at club level since 1927, employed O'Rourke in the 1970s as pool manager and to provide the necessary training and coaching for students.
In August 1993, the headmaster of the school was contacted by a parent who advised him that she had heard that O'Rourke - refer red to in the report as "the second-named coach" - was being investigated in respect of allegations of sexual abuse.
The headmaster made inquiries and on September 7th, 1993, was interviewed by the Garda. Following that he contacted a former school pupil who left in 1983. She indicated that O'Rourke had had sexual intercourse with her and assaulted her. The former pupil, who made a statement to the Central Criminal Court in January of this year, told the inquiry that in 1980-81, when she was 15, she told a teacher she trusted about the abuse.
"The witness said no one said anything to her after that. There was no comment. She felt she had made a big mistake in `opening her mouth' while the coach was getting away with it, so she didn't say any more," said the report.
The report found that the swimmer did confide in a teacher she trusted, but that the headmaster and the board of governors of the school were not told. The teacher concerned could not be traced.
On September 10th, 1993, the school suspended O'Rourke. This decision was ratified the following month when the committee resolved to dismiss the coach. The following month O'Rourke resigned and the president of the swimming club was advised by the headmaster that he was not to coach at the pool for any party.
