Resolved through Conciliation

Use of language - acknowledgement of crux of complaint and undertakin about future reporting on the matter

The Sexual Violence Centre Cork, which provides services to survivors of child sexual abuse, complained about a number of articles which, when reporting on a court case following the conviction of a man for child sexual abuse,

carried a headline that stated that the man was in possession of thousands of 'child porn images’.   The Centre complained that the phrase used had a minimising influence on the crime and  the victims of the crime.

The matter was resolved when the editors accepted the point put forward  by the Centre and said that they would bear the complainants' views in mind when reporting on such matters in the future. 

Breach of family's privacy - publication of apology and correction

A family complained when a newspaper published an article about their deceased father, which included a photograph of the man attributed remarks to him although he had been dead for 27 years.

The newspaper published an apology to the family stating that the incident described in the article did not happen, that the comments attributed to the man were not made by him,

that the piece was intended to be an April Fool’s joke and that this was pointed out to readers the following day.

Accuracy of article - publication of clarification and amendment of online article

An information officer with the Citizens Information Service complained about an article reporting on how children born in Ireland whose parents are not Irish citizens can gain citizenship, which he said was inaccurate. 

The publication accepted that its report had omitted an essential detail of the requirements for citizenship, amended the online article and added a clarification to the article.

Accuracy of article - publication of letter

A man complained about the accuracy of an article reporting on the EU's €750 billion Recovery Fund, which he said was significantly distorted as it did not accurately reflect the true situation.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a letter from the complainant.

Accuracy of article - publication of letter

A man complained about an article which contained a reference to the number of deaths that took place in mines, which the man said gave the inaccurate impression that all of the deaths reported were caused by mining activity,

which he said was not the case.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a letter from the man.

Publication of personal information - amendment of online article 

A woman complained about a court report which contained her full name and address and details in relation to her daughter, following an award made to her daughter.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper deleted some of the personal information complained about.

Court report - interview with complainant

A woman complained about an article which reported on the conviction of her brother.  She complained that her brother suffered from mental health difficulties and that publication of the article had affected his mental health.  The newspaper explained the background to the publication of the article and offered to publish an interview with the woman in which she could  highlight the difficlties encountered by her brother as outlined in her complaint, an offer which was taken up by the woman. 

Accuracy of article - publication of letter

A man complained about the accuracy of an article which reported on the number of children detained in industrial schools and reformatories.   The complaint was resolved with the publication of a letter to the editor.

Accuracy of article - publication of letter

Ryanair complained about an article headlined ‘Holiday Chaos as Ryanair Pilots Announce Strike’ which it said inaccurately reflected the true position.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a letter from the complainants.

Accuracy of article - publication of clarification

A woman complained about an article which she said did not explain to readers that wind energy is variable.   The editor amended the online article and published a clarification. 

Accuracy of headline - deletion of online article and apology

A woman complained about the headline to an article following injuries her brother sustained in an accident abroad.    The editor deleted the article from its website, removed it from its social media platforms and apologised for the upset caused

Accuracy of a podcast -  statement of complaint read out on future podcast

Mr Michael Reade, the presenter of a current affairs programme on the radio station LMFM, complained about an Irish Times’ Women’s Podcast of 13 June 2019 which reported on a radio interview he carried out with a  newly elected councillor, which he said distorted and took out of context his line of questioning of the councillor.  The complaint was resolved when  Mr Reade had his statement of complaint read out on the Women’s Podcast on 25 July 2018, and the original podcast was linked to that podcast.  The podcast can be heard at  https://soundcloud.com/irishtimes-women/ep-324-why-catcalling-is-a-problem 

Accuracy of report about the murder of a man - clarification and undertaking

A woman complained about the accuracy of an article in the Sunday World which reported on a man who was convicted of the murder of her son.  The complaint was resolved when the editor offered to publish a clarification in relation to some of the statements raised by the complainant, and gave an undertaking not to republish some of the other details complained about.

Accuracy of headline - amendment

A man complained about the accuracy of the headline to an article in Thejournal.ie in relation to food intolerance testing kits.  The complaint was resolved when Thejournal.ie amended the headline.

Accuracy of article - clarification

A man complained about an article in the Sunday Independent’s Life Magazine which reported that the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)  had stated that food intolerance tests cannot diagnose food intolerance conditions and advised the public not to act on test results without expert advice.   The complaint was resolved when the magazine published the following statement:

 “An article in Life magazine in March last reported on a statement by the HPRA that food intolerance tests “alone” cannot diagnose food intolerance and that the public should  not act on test results without expert advice.   Fitzwilliam FoodTEST, while not mentioned in the article, has asked us to clarify that their tests are CE compliant and that they have always conformed to the HPRA regulations, as per a statement on their website.”

Inaccurate report of seminar - amendment of online article

A woman complained about an online article published by Trinity News that reported on a seminar held in Trinity College headlined “Do you have the TEDx Factor?” which she said inaccurately reported what she had said at the seminar.  The complaint was resolved when the magazine amended the online article.

Publication of woman's photograph - explanation and offer of right of reply

A woman complained about the publication of her photograph alongside that of her husband which was included in a report published by the Sunday World of a court case involving her husband.  The complaint was resolved when the editor explained that the woman had previously given her permission for the newspaper to take the photograph and offered to publish a right of reply from her in response to her complaint about the article’s content.

Publication of picture of woman in custody - photograph deleted

A firm of solicitors complained a behalf of a woman following the publication of her photograph by the Herald.ie, which was taken while she was in custody inside a police van, following a court case where she was charged with the murder.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper deleted the photograph from Herald.ie

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Publication of clarification and amendment of online article

A woman complained about an article reporting on the mega watts of electricity wind farms produce, which  she said did not differentiate between variable wind energy and dispatchable wind energy.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification in print and online, and amended its online article.

Publication of article following the death of a man who was knocked down and killed while out walking - apology

A woman complained about an article published by Independent.ie which reported on the death of her late uncle, who was knocked down by a car.  The article was in response to an interview with the man who drove the car, who was advising on the importance of pedestrians wearing  hi-vis jackets or  bright coloured clothing while walking.  The woman complained about the level of detail in the article relating to her late uncle’s death, which she said was very upsetting for the family.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published an online apology as follows:

“On 23 August 2017 we published an article related to a fatal road accident in Co Roscommon which occurred on the 8 December 2016. We very much regret that this article caused distress and great upset to the family of the late Michael O’Gara by including excessive detail in relation to the accident. We wish to apologise sincerely for the publication of this article and for the upset that it caused.”

Publication of a woman's address in a court report following her evidence in court - meeting and apology

A woman complained about a court report in the Longford Leader which gave her name and address after she gave evidence following a break-in at her house.  The complaint was resolved when the editor met the complainant and her husband. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Publication of clarification by the Evening Echo following publication of a eulogy given  by the sister of a woman who was murdered

A woman complained about an article published by the Evening Echo following a eulogy which she gave at the funeral of her sister, who had been murdered.   She complained that the reporting of the eulogy was deeply upsetting for her and her family, and that the newspaper had misquoted the words that she had used, thereby changing the meaning of what she had said.  The complaint was resolved when the  newspaper published a clarification stating what the complainant actually said in the eulogy.

Publication of a clarification by the Irish Examiner regarding a eulogy

A woman complained about an article published by the Irish Examiner following a eulogy which she gave at the funeral of her sister, who had been murdered.   She complained that the reporting of the eulogy was deeply upsetting for her and her family, and that the newspaper had misquoted the words that she had used, thereby changing the meaning of what she had said.  The complaint was resolved when the  newspaper published a clarification stating what the complainant actually said in the eulogy.

Apology by the Sunday World for republication of inaccurate material and undertaking about future

coverage

A woman complained that an article reporting on the arrest of a man in relation to the murder of her son republished a statement about her son which she said was inaccurate and for which the newspaper had previously published a correction.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper amended the online article and wrote a letter to the mother apologising for the republication of the information and gave an undertaking that it would not be republished.

Apology by the Sunday World for use of photograph and deletion of photograph online  

A woman complained about an article reporting on the murder of her father, which showed a picture of her father naked, bound and gagged.  The complaint was resolved when the editor deleted the photograph from the newspaper’s digital sites and Facebook, and apologised to the family for using the photograph and for the distress that its use caused.  The editor guaranteed that the photograph would not be used again.

Amendment of online article by the Irish Daily Mail and undertaking about future coverage

A woman complained that an article reporting on the arrest of a man in relation to the murder of her brother contained inaccurate information about the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper amended the online article and undertook to take her concerns into account when considering publication of any future material concerning the fatal shooting of her brother.

Amendment of online article by the Sunday World and publication of clarification 

A man complained about the headline to an article that read “Gardai seize machine gun and shotgun after cannabis grow house raid” which went on to state that “…in a ‘follow-up’ search to the growhouse raid, Gardai seized a range of firearms and cocaine”.  The man complained that while he was involved in the cannabis grow-house raid, the second raid was totally unrelated to the first raid, and the article may have given the impression that he was somehow linked to the second raid.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper amended the article and published the following clarification at the bottom:

*The original version of this article stated that gardai seized a range of firearms and drugs in a follow-up search after raiding a cannabis grow-house in Limerick.  We have been informed that the guns and cocaine discovered in the follow-up search were unrelated to the grow-house raid in Adare and that the two raids were made independently of each other.    We are happy to clarify this and regret any confusion.”

Amendment of online article by the Independent.ie

Mr Peter Heimlich complained about an article published by Independent.ie about the death of his father, Henry Heimlich, the inventor of the “Heimlich manoeuvre”.  Mr Heimlich complained about a number of statements in the article including the headline, which read “ Henry Heimlich – surgeon who invented chest thrust”, which he said should have referred to “abdominal thrust”.   The complaint was resolved when Independent.ie amended its online article to address the matters about which Mr Heimlich complained.

Amendment of online article by the Irish Independent and publication of correction

A man complained about a statement in an article published by the Irish Independent about an increase in the incidence of mumps in Ireland which read that a HSE spokesman had said that “most (of those infected) had not had the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine”.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper deleted the sentence from its online article and published a correction in print and online.

A man and the Irish Independent - publication of correction and apology

A man complained that an article published by the Irish Independent based on a story written by him did not carry his byline.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correction and apology stating that the article should have carried his byline.

The Irish Prison Service and the Sunday World -  undertaking about future coverage following meeting with editorial team

The Irish Prison Service complained about an article published by the Sunday World which reported in detail on a complaint made by a prisoner against a member of the prison staff.  The matter was resolved when representatives of the prison service met with the newspaper’s senior editorial staff and agreement was reached that the newspaper would put in place new procedures to ensure that in future contact would be made with the prison authorities prior to the publication of any article about the prison service.

A woman and The Herald - publication of correction

A woman complained about an article published online by The Herald which referred to her late son as a “drug dealer”. The woman said her son had no convictions for drug dealing.   The complaint was resolved when The Herald published a correction stating that the woman’s son had no criminal conviction for drug offences, and apologised for the distress caused by the article.

A woman and the Sunday World - publication of correction

A woman complained about an article published online by the Sunday World which referred to her late son as a “drug dealer”.     The woman said her son had no convictions for drug dealing.    The complaint was resolved when the Sunday World published an online correction stating that the woman’s son had no criminal conviction for drug offences,  and apologised for the distress caused by the article.

A woman and the Irish Independent - amendment of online article

A woman complained about an article published by the Irish Independent which reported on a civil action which she had taken on behalf of her young child.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper explained that it had reported on a case that was conducted in open court and upon which no reporting restrictions had been imposed.   As a gesture of goodwill it deleted the child's name and address from the online article.

A woman and The Herald - deletion of online article

A woman complained about an article published in the Herald which reported on a civil action which she had taken on behalf of her young child.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper deleted the online article.

A woman and The Irish Times - explanation behind the publication of an article

A woman complained about an article published in The Irish Times on a civil action which she had taken on behalf of her young child. The complaint was resolved when the editor deleted the online version of the article.  The editor explained to the woman that although the case had been heard in open court and the newspaper was free to report on the proceedings, had the woman’s legal team made a request that the case should not be reported the newspaper would have agreed to the request in the particular circumstances. 

A woman and TheJournal.ie - amendment of online article

A woman complained about an article published in TheJournal.ie which reported on a civil action which she had taken on behalf of her young child.  The complaint was resolved when the editor explained that the publication had reported only on the facts of the case as presented in court.  In order to resolve the matter, she undertook to delete the exact details of the child's address from the online article.

Mr Gerry Adams TD and the Irish Independent - publication of apology and clarification

Mr Adams complained about an article published in the Irish Independent that stated that he had joked about the editor of the Irish Independent being held at gunpoint. The complaint was resolved when the Irish Independent published, in print and online, the following clarification and apology:

“Clarification: Gerry Adams TD

In an article published on 6th November 1015 it was stated that Gerry Adams, during a speech given at a fundraiser in New York, “…. joked about the editor of the Irish Independent being held at gunpoint.”  We wish to clarify that Mr Adams’ did not joke about holding the editor of the Irish Independent at gunpoint.  He was in fact referring to an historical event which occurred almost a century ago during the War of Independence.  We apologise to Mr Adams and we are happy to clarify this.”

A man and Independent.ie - fee for use of photograph

A man complained that Independent.ie published a photograph which belonged to him without his permission and without accreditation.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper contacted the complainant directly and offered him an appropriate fee for the use of the photograph.

Mr Dermot Desmond and The Irish Times - publication of correction and amendment of online article

Mr Dermot Desmond complained about an article published by The Irish Times in print and online headlined “Desmond set for legal battle over Caribbean resort”, the contents of which he said were inaccurate.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correction in its print edition, and re-wrote the online article to inform readers that there was no court case schedule between IIU and Canouan Resorts Development.

Ms Carole O'Reilly and the Irish Examiner - publication of clarification and apology

Carole O’Reilly complained about an article in the Irish Examiner which reported on an interview which she gave to the newspaper following her humanist wedding.  She said that the article distorted comments made by her and her husband, and did not properly or accurately reflect their views and experiences on a number of matters.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a statement clarifying a number of issues reported in the article.  It also apologised to Ms O’Reilly and her husband for any upset that the article may have caused them or their families.

Paul Murphy  TD and Irish Examiner - publication of clarification

Deputy Paul Murphy complained about the headline to a front page article in the Irish Examiner which read “TD defends Higgins Abusers”.  The article reported on the verbal abuse of President Michael D Higgins.  Deputy Murphy complained that the headline was inaccurate and misleading  because he had not defended the verbal abuse of the President, but the right of people  to protest.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification of the matter.

Gerry Adams TD and the Irish Independent - publication of apology

Deputy Gerry Adams’ solicitors complained about the publication of a previous decision of the Press Ombudsman/Press Council in the Irish Independent, which was published further back in the newspaper than the original article which was the subject matter of the complaint.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a statement apologising for the error. 

NAMA and the Irish Daily Mirror - publication of clarification

NAMA complained about a headline to an article published in the Irish Daily Mirror which read “KILLED BY NAMA Farmer who took his own life was ‘driven to the end of his tether’ by bad bank”,  following the death by suicide of a man who had had dealings with NAMA.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that the headline was a comment by the newspaper of the pressure felt by the deceased, and not a statement of fact.

Louise Gilroy and The Irish Times - publication of statement

Louise Gilroy complained about an article published in The Irish Times which reported on the contents of a letter of resignation which she had written, which she said was not intended for circulation beyond a small group of people.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a statement, both in its print edition and online, that Ms Gilroy had not been responsible for passing her letter of resignation on to the newspaper, and that she did not communicate with the newspaper about the matter.

The Journal Media Limited and The Irish Times - publication of correction online

The Journal Media Ltd. complained about an article in The Irish Times, that stated that a New York venture capital fund which had negotiated Luxembourg tax agreements had a 25 per cent shareholding  in its news website TheJournal.ie, which they said was not true.  The Irish Times accepted that the statement was an error and agreed to republish, on the homepage of its website, a correction that had already been published in the print edition.

Mr Michael Grange and the Irish Independent - publication of clarification and deleetion of online article

Mr Michael Grange complained about a report in the Irish Independent of a High Court case he took against the Commission for Public Service Appointments, which he said was inaccurate.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification and deleted the article from its website.

Motorsport Ireland complained about an article in the Irish  Daily Mail which reported on an accident at the Jim  Clark Rally in Scotland in which three spectators died.    Motorsport Ireland complained that the headline to the article suggested that the driver of the rally car was to blame for what happened.  The complaint was resolved when the paper published a clarification and apologised if anyone was hurt or offended by the wording of the heading.

A descendant of one of the leaders of the l916 Rising complained about a headline to two articles published by the Irish Independent that statements she made to a journalist were reported as though she were speaking on behalf of the descendants of the Rising, when she was speaking in a personal capacity and not on behalf of anyone else.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper deleted the articles from its website.

A man complained about an article in The Argus which reported that a Minister of State had lost her job over her stance on ‘the recent abortion referendum’, when there was no such referendum.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that the reference should have been to the ’Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act.A woman complained about an article that reported on the arrest of a man in connection with the overnight disappearance of her daughter.   The complaint was resolved when the editor wrote a letter to the mother apologising for the distress caused by the article, and undertook not to publish any further articles about the matter.

The Ambassador of Israel complained about an article in The Irish Times regarding the newspaper’s coverage of Israel, which he said was inaccurate.  The complaint was resolved when the editor offered to publish a letter from the Ambassador, and invited him to call into The Irish Times to discuss all matters of concern to him

A man complained about an article about fracking in the Irish Independent, which he said contained inaccurate references to a number of international research reports.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification.

Mr Barry Hazel complained about an article published in the Irish Independent about the reaction of parents to a threatened teachers’ pay dispute.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published an article from the complainant.

The parents of a teenager complained about an article in the Sunday World about the Kilkenny minor camogie team and drinking, which included a photograph with the caption “celebrations on the team bus in pics taken from Facebook”.    The photograph included a picture of their daughter who, they said, although her face was pixelated, was identifiable from the clothes she was wearing.  They also complained that the photograph was not taken on the team bus, as reported, but in the back of a taxi.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that the picture was not taken on the team bus but in the back of an 8-seater taxi, and that neither the photograph nor the article were meant to infer that the girls in question were drinking alcohol. 

Mrs Catherine Griffin complained about an article in The Corkman that reported on the death of her son which contained a headline stating “Brian Griffin died after row”.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that Mr Griffin had not died as a result of the row, and apologised to the family for any distress caused.

 Mrs Doreen Healy complained about an article   the Irish Examiner following the inquest into the death of her daughter following her fall from a playground ride outside the 02 in Dublin, which reported on the findings of the toxicology report following her death.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper deleted its online edition of the article. 

Mrs Doreen Healy complained about articles published in the Irish Sun, the Irish Independent and the Herald, following the inquest into the death of her daughter after her fall from a playground ride outside the 02 in Dublin, which reported on the findings of the toxicology report following her death.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that it had been pointed out that the conclusions reported were not contained in the toxicology report, and that the inquest found that Ms Healy died of misadventure  following her fall.  It also apologised to the family for the distress caused by the report.

Mr David Elio Malocco complained about an article in the Irish Independent that included a statement that he did not respond to attempts by the newspaper to contact him, which he said was untrue.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that Mr Malocco did respond but due to a production error his response was not printed.  It also apologised to Mr Malocco for the error.

A man complained that a photograph of his father, who died in 2010, was published in The Irish Times in 2013.    The complaint was speedily resolved when the newspaper traced the origins of the photograph and confirmed to the complainant that the photograph was not one of his late father, as it had been taken in a hospital in the United States in 2007. 

Mrs Doreen Healy complained about an article published in the Irish Independent following the inquest into the death of her daughter following her fall from a playground ride outside the 02 in Dublin, which reported on the findings of the toxicology report following her death.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that it had been pointed out that the conclusions reported were not contained in the toxicology report, and that the inquest found that Ms Healy died of misadventure, following her fall.  It also apologised to the family for the distress caused by the report.

A man complained about an inaccuracy contained in a book review in the Irish Examiner, which misquoted a reference from the book.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correction.

Mr Stephen Conway complained about an article published in the Wexford Echo relating to the sudden death of his mother which contained a headline that read “FOUL PLAY RULED OUT”,  which he said was deeply distressing for the grieving family.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published an apology stating that they understood that foul play was not suspected in the death of the complainant’s mother.

The Department of Finance complained about an article published in the Sunday Independent which it said contained significant and misleading inaccuracies regarding the role of the European Central Bank  in the release of information to journalists about the liquidation of the former Anglo Irish Bank under the  Freedom of Information Act.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that the ECB did  not and could not interfere with the release of information under the Freedom of Information Act, and that all decisions about such releases are a matter entirely for the Department of Finance.

Ms Deirdre Lowney complained about an article in the Irish Independent about the death of her father as a result of a road traffic accident, which reported that the woman’s father and his partner had three children, when in fact the partner was not the children’s mother.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correction.

Ms Carol Hanney complained about a number of articles published in the Irish Daily Mail which reported on her proposed assignment within the Department of Education and Skills, which included a reference to her husband, the Tánaiste, Mr Eamon Gilmore.  She complained that the articles were unfair and inaccurate and were designed to convey the impression that she had been given special treatment because of her husband’s political office.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a comprehensive clarification and apology.

The mother of a young man who died tragically complained about a statement in an article in the Irish Examiner about the death of another young person by suicide which stated that Gardai were examining a link between the two deaths.    She complained that there was no evidence that her son died by suicide.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correction and apology to the family, deleted the online article from its archive and requested Google to remove a headline link about which she had also complained.

A complaint from Mr Tom Cooper about a statement in an article published in the Sunday Independent which said that he was “a founder of the Irish National Congress” was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification.      

A complaint about an article in The Irish Times which stated that Tel Aviv was the capital of Israel was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification.     

The legal adviser to the Houses of the Oireachtas complained about an article in the Irish Mail on Sunday headlined ‘Secret deal gives TDs €3m a year raise’, which also referred to Oireachtas envelopes ‘stolen’ by politicians.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correction. 

A man complained about an article in the Irish Examiner which purported to show that 93% of the public decried the closure of the Irish embassy in the Vatican,   but the underlying data for the analysis was drawn from Freedom of Information requests to the Department of Foreign Affairs which revealed that 102 emails were received by the Department of which 93% were critical of the decision.    The matter was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification in its print and online editions and sent the complainant a copy to post to his personal blog.

A complaint was received about an article in the Irish Independent which the complainant said contained an inaccurate statement from a Government Minister of State.    The matter was resolved when the newspaper published a letter from the Minister of State.  

The Principal of Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál in Blarney, Co Cork, complained when the 2012 school league tables were published in The Irish Times and mistakenly reported that no students from his school went to University College Cork in 2012.  The matter was resolved when the newspaper published a correction.

A family who had requested privacy following the murder of a family member complained that a newspaper was continuing to make contact with a family member, despite their request for privacy.    The matter was resolved when the newspaper apologised for the further intrusion and gave an undertaking to circulate his views to all relevant executives.

A mother complained when an article in the Leitrim Observer reported that her son, who had died suddenly, died at home, when this was not the case.   The matter was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification.

Solicitors for Ronan Keating complained about  an article published in the Irish Mail on Sunday, which they said was inaccurate.    The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correction and apology.

Solicitors for a Mr Dunne complained  about the contents of an article in the Evening Herald in relation to a court case in which Mr Dunne was involved following charges against him for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, which were dismissed.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification stating that Mr Dunne had been fully acquitted of the charges against him.

Solicitors for the former Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen, complained about an article published in the Irish Mail on Sunday about Mr Cowen’s attendance  at a course in Stanford University, USA.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification  and  apology.

A mother complained about an article in the Laois Nationalist about the sudden death of her teenage son because the article reported that her son’s death  was being examined in connection with another local suicide, which she said was untrue.   The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification .

A woman who was the victim of serious offences that featured in a highly publicised court case over 15  years ago contacted the office to complain about  the publication of an article in a local newspaper about another court case involving the man convicted of her assault.   She complained that the republication of material from the earlier case in this article  was extremely distressing for her and her young child.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper sent her a private letter of apology.

“In an article in the edition of August 23rd last, concerning property at Rosses Point, Co Sligo, it was stated that a Church of England vicar, Reverend Chave-Cox and his wife were claiming rights to property there through an interest in the Middleton Estate. Revd Guy Chave-Cox has not laid claim to any land in Rosses Point. In fact, it is Mrs Chave-Cox only who has an interest in the Middleton Estate.

It was also stated that a number of home-owners received solicitors’ letters containing a 28-day notice to quit their property.

Only one such letter was sent and it was not issued due to any non-ppayment of ground rent. Solicitors P O’Connor and Son have confirmed that Mr Joe Carter of Howley Carter & Co. does not represent the recipient of any 28-day notice letter.

The article also stated that Mrs Chave-Cox was at Rosses Point checking what land the Middleton Estate has rights to. Mrs Chave-Cox has pointed out that she took measurements of buildings in need of repair whilst in the locality on holiday with her family.

The article stated correctly that most of the Middleton family left Ireland up to 90 years ago. Mrs Chave-Cox has pointed out that the majority holding of the estate was in Irish hands less than 20 years ago.

Any distress caused by the error is regretted.”

A couple complained about the publication of their wedding photograph by the Irish Examiner following their civil wedding, when they were given an undertaking by the photographer present on the day that it would not be published.  The complaint was satisfactorily resolved when the editor wrote directly to the couple explaining how the error happened and apologised for it and erased the photographs from its archive.  He also undertook to provide copies of the photographs to the couple as a gesture of goodwill.

A family complained about an article relating to the circumstances surrounding the death of two family members some 30 years previously.   Reference to the deaths was made in the context of an article about the recent imprisonment of the person responsible.    The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification.

A man complained about the accuracy of a report published in the Irish Independent relating to an ongoing dispute between the Government and pharmacists.  The newspaper initially offered to publish a letter from the complainant giving his side of the story, but the complaint was resolved when the newspaper agreed to contact the complainant by telephone to hear his side of the argument.

A businessman complained through his solicitors about three articles published in the Irish Mail on Sunday which he said contained personal and intimate information and (which he said contained) a number of factual inaccuracies which were damaging to his personal and professional reputation.  The complaint was resolved when the newspaper, after being contacted by the Office of the Press Ombudsman, successfully concluded direct negotiations with the complainant’s solicitors.

A woman complained about a number of statements, which she said were inaccurate or misleading, contained in an article about foreign adoptions published in the Irish Independent. The complaint was resolved when the newspaper and the complainant agreed to the publication of a letter from her setting out her views on the matter.

A man complained that an article published in The Kerryman which included a reference to him contained a number of inaccuracies. The complaint was resolved satisfactory when the newspaper very swiftly gave an undertaking to publish a further article clarifying the matters under complaint.

A man complained through his solicitors about an item which appeared in the newspaper referring to the circumstances in which his late wife was taken to hospital, which he said caused him and his family deep upset and severe insult.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification and an apology for any offence caused to the woman’s relatives and friends.

A company complained that an article published by the newspaper alleged that its website was owned by a former director of the company who no longer had any involvement with the business.

The newspaper had, in response to a direct complaint from the company some weeks prior to its approach to the Office of the Press Ombudsman, immediately deleted the article from its website and marked its cuttings library accordingly. When the complainant searched the internet some weeks later she accessed the article on an external website. On receipt of this further complaint the newspaper immediately undertook to contact the website in question, and the complainant accepted that the newspaper had done everything within its power to have the article deleted from all external websites.

A husband and wife complained about the publication of their names and their children’s names and their full address by the newspaper following an incident in which they were the victims of criminal activity.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper deleted the article from its website and from Google’s cached pages.

A man complained about calls to his family home by one of the newspaper’s reporters following the death of his daughter in tragic circumstances.

The newspaper explained the background to the newspaper’s efforts to contact the complainant, and indicated that it was never its intention to harass the complainant or his family.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper immediately confirmed that it would not make any further attempts to contact the complainant or his family.

A man complained about a particular reference to him in an article which he said was derogatory and embarrassing. While the newspaper offered to publish a letter from the complainant, this offer was not accepted by him.

The newspaper published an item which accepted that the language used was offensive and unwarranted. The man complained about the size and positioning of the item on the page, and the complaint was resolved when the paper re-published the item more prominently the following week after representations were made to this effect.

A man complained about a front page article headlined “Orange marches spark attacks on police officers” published in the Sunday Times on 13 July which, he believed, gave a misleading and inaccurate impression of what occurred on the day in question.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper wrote to the complainant accepting that part of the article may have been misleading, and by subsequently publishing an agreed correction.

A man complained through his solicitors that an article published by the Irish Daily Mail made an inaccurate report of the death of his late wife.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification which was acceptable to the complainant.

A man complained about three articles published by the Sunday Tribune between 2001 and 2003, which he felt affected his good name and which remained available on the newspaper’s website.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper very speedily agreed to remove the offending articles from its website.

A man complained about a crime statistic used in an article published in the Sunday Independent.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper clarified to the complainant, and the complainant accepted, the situation in relation to the statistic used in the report.

A family member complained, on her own behalf and on behalf of her family, about an article published by the Irish Star Sunday in relation to the circumstances surrounding her late father’s death. The woman and her family were particularly upset at the newspaper’s decision to publish photographs of her late father’s body.

The complaint was resolved following a meeting between the editor of the newspaper and the complainant, as a result of which the newspaper published an agreed apology.

A woman complained about the Evening Herald’s coverage of a court case which stated inaccurately that her husband had been left without conviction “after paying her compensation”. The woman complained that it was totally inaccurate to state that her husband had paid her compensation.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published an agreed clarification.

A man complained about an article published by the Western People in 2004, which he felt affected his good name, which referred to him directly, and which remained available on the newspaper’s website.

The complaint was resolved when the newspaper agreed to remove the offending article from its website.