GARDAÍ WILL TAKE no further action in response to a St Patrick’s week party that took place at a Co Kildare castle owned by pandemic campaigner Dolores Cahill. 

This website reported earlier this year that gardaí had launched a probe into an event at Athy’s White Castle alleged to have taken place on the evening of Tuesday 16 March, going on into the early hours of St Patrick’s Day. 

At the time of the party, Ireland was at Level 5 of Covid restrictions and there were strict guidelines around indoor gatherings. 

Cahill, then a faculty member at the UCD School of Medicine and chair of the Irish Freedom Party, had by that time established herself as a staunch opponent of Covid-related public health restrictions.

The initial Garda probe was launched in the days after the gathering at the castle, which is owned by Cahill and situated on Duke Street in the centre of Athy. 

At one point in the early hours of St Patrick’s Day morning a large group of people exited the castle grounds, spilling out onto neighbouring streets – leading to dozens of complaints to local authorities and gardaí, sources told The Journal at the time. 

Fixed penalty notices were issued to several people for non-essential travel in the area on St Patrick’s Day itself, a Garda spokeserson confirmed in response to queries about the gathering. 

Responding to additional queries this week, a Garda spokesperson said: 

“An Garda Síochána carried out enquiries into an alleged breach of Public Health Regulations at a property in Athy, Co.Kildare, Wednesday 17th March 2021.

“The Health Act 1947 (Section 31A-Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (No.10) -Regulations 2020, as amended, were in force.

“A number of Fixed Payment Notices were issued for non-essential journeys.

“No further action was taken.”

Sources said it was very unlikely any further charges would be pursued at this point. 

Land Registry documents show that Dolores Cahill became an owner of the property alongside another named person on 16 January 2020.

It’s not known whether Professor Cahill was in attendance at the gathering in question. Contacted by The Journal at the time, she said she had no comment to make. 

Dolores Cahill

A number of Cahill’s claims have been debunked by media outlets including The Journal and social media companies have taken down videos featuring her opinions on the pandemic.

In one video, which has since been removed from Facebook after being debunked by US science website Health Feedback, the former UCD academic claimed that people will have “hardly any symptoms” if they get the virus once they have been eating healthily and taking vitamins C and D along with zinc.

She also said that there was no need for a vaccine against Covid-19.

Cahill resigned as chair of the Irish Freedom Party in late March. 

Earlier this month, it emerged that Cahill was no longer employed by UCD.