A SENIOR EXECUTIVE ENGINEER WITH MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL AND HIS WIFE WERE EACH AWARDED 38,000 EURO FOR DEFAMATION BY A CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE YESTERDAY IN CASTLEBAR.

JUDGE RORY MCCABE RULED THAT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER KIERAN LYNN AND HIS WIFE, ANN, HAD BEEN DEFAMED IN LETTERS SENT BY ROGER MCGREAL IN 2009 TO A NUMBER OF PARTIES INCLUDING THE THEN MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, JOHN GORMLEY, DAIL DEPUTY MICHAEL RING AND ALL COUNTY AND TOWN COUNCILLORS IN THE MAYO AREA.

ALLEGATIONS IN THE LETTERS INCLUDED CLAIMS THAT MR LYNN OWNED PROPERTY ON CLARE ISLAND WHICH HE INTENDED TO DEVELOP WHEN IN FACT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AS HE HAD NEVER OWNED SUCH PROPERTY.

THERE WAS ALSO AN ALLEGATION THAT ANN MCGREAL LYNN HAD USED HER MAIDEN NAME FOR "JUDICIOUS" PURPOSES WHEN APPLYING FOR PLANNING PERMISSION WHEN THE FACT WAS THAT SHE ALWAYS USED HER MAIDEN NAME.

THERE WERE ALSO SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS IN RELATION TO VARIOUS PLANNING APPLICATIONS. THE JUDGE FOUND ALL OF THE ALLEGATIONS WERE UNSUBSTANTIATED.

THE DEFENDANT IN THE CASE, ROGER MCGREAL, IS AN ESTRANGED BROTHER OF MRS ANN MCGREAL.

IN THE COURSE OF HIS LENGTHY JUDGEMENT, JUDGE MCCABE NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO SUSTAINABLE EVIDENCE OF ANY ABUSE OF OFFICE BY MR LYNN, ADDING THAT THE ALLEGATIONS HAD ARISEN FROM "PERSONAL DISSATISFACTION AND DISGRUNTLEMENT".AWARDING THE PLAINTIFFS 38,000 EURO EACH PLUS COSTS, THE JUDGE SAID HE WOULD AWARD MORE IF HE COULD.