Feeney Rides Again

On Thursday May 5 1983 big ignorant John Feeney wrote a story in the Evening Herald which had no basis in fact.

The story was about Senator Donie Cassidy who is involved in a waxworks museum which is due to open in Dublin in a few months time. The story suggested that the wax head of a well known Fianna Fail figure melted in Senator Cassidy's car on a journey to Dublin. Senator Cassidy says that this is completely untrue.

The story goes on to say that there had been a breakin at the waxwork premises a week previously. Senator Cassidy says the break-in took place six months previously.

The story says that the thieves did damage to the wax head of Big Tom "before turning on poor Brendan Bowyer whom they lacerated badly about his pouting lips before gouging one of his eyes out." There was a photograph of Brendan Bowyer in the Herald beside Feeney's piece.

The only trouble is that there is no wax statue of Brendan Bowyer in the museum. The gouging out of one of his eyes took place only in big ignorant John Feeney's mind.

Two wax heads were in fact stolen six months ago. One was of Big Tom, the other was of Pat Taaffe; both were recovered by the gardai in the Garden of Remembrance the following morning.

Feeney's description of the damage done to the head of Big Tom is graphic indeed: "In a frenzy of savagery they kicked Big Tom about the face and slit his skull with a knife." Senator Donie Cassidy says that there "was just a bit chipped out of the back of his head."

Senator Cassidy is quoted at some length in Feeney's piece about how he reacted to finding Big Tom "lying there with his skull split" etc. Senator Cassidy says he did not say the things John Feeney quotes him as saying.

It is time John Feeney stopped misquoting people and writing lies in the Evening Herald.