Pirate Predator: 04 - Secrets and Lies
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
April 1978. Dublin's most successful pirate radio station had suddenly and dramatically been brought to its knees when its captain, Eamon Cook, was accused of child abuse. My reputation as such certainly has been rubbed into the ground and made mud up, but that is of minor consequence.
What allegations were made against Eamon Cooke and how did he respond?
The most important thing is that this radio station as such survives. Denying all the allegations live on Radio Dublin, Eamon Cook totally twisted the truth. They have brought the whole radio movement of Ireland into disrepute. The only ones who regained from this are, of course, the Department of Custom Telegraphs and RTE. By the time Cook took to the airwaves with his DARTRAD, Siobhan's family already knew the truth because the local priest had heard her recorded testimony of Cook's abuse. The tape had gone to the clergy.
There was a priest called Father Jimmy Nolan. And he'd gone to my parents to say that he had suspicions that I might be interfered with down in Radio Dublin by M Cook. My parents then called me in to ask me questions. I was absolutely terrified. I thought I was in trouble.
Siobhan's mother believed her immediately.
My mum didn't know what to do, so she brought me to have an examination in a doctor's. Now, they asked me a lot of questions about touching, and I explained everything. My mum collapsed into surgery. She had to be carried out.
Siobhan's mother wanted to go to the Gardaí, but the doctor advised her not to.
And he said it wouldn't be a good idea for my mum to go to the police. That would be very hard on me and that none of my friends would play with me and nobody would talk to the family. And it's a child's word over an adult's word.
All of this happened by the time Cook took to the airwaves with his now infamous broadcast. The week was spent then in attempting to disprove or improve the allegations, whichever could be done. Knowing what I know now, listening back to Cook actually takes my breath away. The arrogance and denial, all in plain sight. There was little point in myself going around here and there. But if they say to the local guard, the station or the local priest and asking them what they thought of me, they'd probably have said, good lad or you're a great lad and goodbye. Eleven-year-old Siobhan and her mother both listened in to Cook.
At the time I heard the broadcast, what I was supposed to be It wasn't just Siobhan and Anne who'd been abused by Cook.
So had many of their friends.
And his house, you have to remember, overlooked the local school.
His bedroom window was filled with children. Day in, day out, he had his eye on that school.
And many of my friends were in that school, boys and girls.
I'm Peter Mulryan from RTE Documentary on One. This is Pirate Predator. And a warning before we begin. This series contains references to child sex abuse. Episode 4. Secrets and Lies.
I always wanted to be anonymous because my parents weren't aware of anything that happened.
We're calling this woman Mary and have altered her voice using AI. She was one of the group that was in the garage with Siobhan and Anne and she has never spoken before.
I remember so much that's like the other girls, but it was one particular experience of going into his house in my communion dress and being abused in my communion dress.
How did the local community react to the allegations against Cooke?
He gave me money at the time, I remember. I think it could have been 30 pence or 40 pence. And I remember vividly putting it in my white communion sock.
And now Mary and the other children were sitting by the railway line in Inchicore with Anne and they were filled with fear.
And it was now in the public arena.
We didn't know if we were going to be sent to a home and lose our families and our parents.
So there was a group of us sitting on the steps. We were planning on running away. Because we were so frightened. And we felt it was us who were going to be into trouble. So we had a plan.
We were all going to go home and get our fetcher bags and our sandwich to survive. And we were thinking we'd run away to Memorial Park and live in the trees there. Even the running away is so childlike.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:24
2
What allegations were made against Eamon Cooke and how did he respond?
0:24–4:17
3
How did the local community react to the allegations against Cooke?
4:17–5:12
4
What impact did Siobhan's testimony have on the situation?
5:12–28:22
5
How did DJ James Dillon investigate the truth behind the allegations?
28:22–32:14