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The Claire Byrne Show

Convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally has died in prison

18 Jun 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

1.87 - 6.255 Claire Byrne

The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk with Aviva Insurance.

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Chapter 2: What news about Bill Kenneally is discussed at the beginning?

10 - 24.178 Clare Byrne

Well, in breaking news this morning, the convicted paedophile Bill Keneally has died in prison while serving a sentence for historic abuse of boys in Waterford. Jason Clancy is a survivor of the serial abuser and Jason joins me on the line now. Good morning, Jason.

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25.199 - 26.14 Jason Clancy

Good morning, Clare.

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26.255 - 32.843 Clare Byrne

You heard this news this morning in the last little while, I'm sure, like the rest of us. How does it make you feel?

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32.863 - 62.948 Jason Clancy

Yeah, I suppose really it's, I suppose it's just more closure really, you know, I think for us, you know, as you know, the commission report came out last week or whatever, which gave us closure. And I suppose this just gives us extra closure now as well. It's like everything has come to full circle, you know. I don't feel anything really. I'm not jumping up and down that he's dead.

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62.968 - 75.752 Jason Clancy

I'm not delighted. Equally, I'm not sad. It is what it is. His life came to an end. And to be honest with you, I think may the devil have mercy on his soul.

77.167 - 86.719 Clare Byrne

Yeah, I mean, thinking back to, it was 2013, wasn't it, when you made that complaint against him that led to the Garda investigation.

Chapter 3: How does Jason Clancy feel about the closure from Kenneally's death?

87.279 - 105.942 Clare Byrne

It has been such a huge, long-running thing, a long-running part of your life, up to the point where you had that meeting with the Minister for Justice in the last couple of days. And you mentioned at the start that this brings some element of closure. Does it draw a line under anything for you today?

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107.204 - 121.38 Jason Clancy

No, it does. Look, I think, you know, not just today because he's dead. I think, you know, certainly last week I think is where, you know, the line, you know, the line was really drawn for me anyway.

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121.8 - 137.177 Jason Clancy

I think up to last Tuesday when the report was released, I mean, up to that point for the last 13 years, it was always, you know, I was saying that they did this to us, they did that, you know, whereas

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137.68 - 163.806 Jason Clancy

when the report came out is now the judge saying yes you know they did this to you and the state or whatever you know the GardaĆ­ so you know it was just total vindication so the line was drawn to be honest with you last week for me and I think today's news is just look it's just confirmation for me as well that the whole thing has come full circle and that there's closure you know and

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164.95 - 175.221 Jason Clancy

you know, and I suppose, look, he did what he did and he's just going to have to face the music, his maker now and that's it really, you know.

176.462 - 188.075 Clare Byrne

Just going back to what was said at that meeting, I know you were very happy, if I can use that word, after the meeting with Jim O'Callaghan because he apologised to you in the meeting. He also said the state apology is coming.

189.276 - 205.622 Jason Clancy

Yes. And that's huge for us really, you know, a state apology because you know, we do deserve it. I think what was done to us was terrible. I mean, it ruined a lot of our lives, you know.

206.022 - 210.509 Clare Byrne

And it could have been stopped, you know. I mean, that's what was clear from the report.

211.55 - 231.564 Jason Clancy

See, that's it. 1985, when a boy went into the Garda station, you know, and made a complaint and they asked him to leave. You know, they could have, and if they had stopped him then, You know, Bill Canadian's own evidence said that if they had gone and searched his house and his car, they would have found the naked photographs of us.

Chapter 4: What does Jason Clancy say about the impact of the commission report?

299.326 - 307.033 Clare Byrne

Did you feel fully vindicated when the report was published, Jason, and not until that point?

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308.674 - 332.366 Jason Clancy

Oh yeah, it was, I felt fully vindicated. I think we all did when that, when the report came out. Certainly not vindicated up until that point. Yeah, I mean, it took, you know, it's, we need to hear it from, like from the judge that saying, yes, you are correct in what you were alleging. Like I drafted an 80,000 word dossier in 2016 and presented it to the Minister for Justice.

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332.927 - 335.29 Jason Clancy

And that's how we got this inquiry in the first place.

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335.33 - 337.153 Clare Byrne

That was Charlie Flanagan, was it, at the time?

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337.633 - 367.882 Jason Clancy

It was actually Francis Fitzgerald. It was Francis Fitzgerald that gave the inquiry and then Charlie Flanagan then replaced Francis Fitzgerald and he dealt with it. But, you know, that dossier stacked up You know, the allegations we made in it, they stacked up, you know, but it's not until, you know, the judges report, the commission reports say, yes, you're correct. This is what they did.

367.902 - 373.41 Jason Clancy

This is how they did it. You know, so it's only then that you do feel vindicated, you know.

373.492 - 393.404 Clare Byrne

We had a conversation on the programme a few weeks ago about people who campaign for access to new drugs, which is a completely different thing. But we were talking about the toll that it takes on you when you decide to go public with something that is very personal and very private. Do you ever regret making that decision?

393.444 - 405.98 Clare Byrne

Because I know, and I saw in the local paper, there was an editorial about how everybody owes you. uh, you know, so much gratitude for doing what you're doing. And there is all of that, but it does undoubtedly, I would imagine, take a huge toll on you and your family.

407.621 - 431.316 Jason Clancy

Oh, look, it has. I mean, look, it's taken a huge toll on me and my family. Um, like over the last two years, like I have, look, I've spent about, I think it's about eight months in St. Patrick's, um, psychiatric hospital in Dublin, you know, um, it just wore me down in the end, you know, and, and, and my family as well.

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