Ep 479 Above Water: Trish Kearney

The Women's Podcast

Trish Kearney was one of the six Irish swimmers who charged former swim coach George Gibney with sexual abuse offences in 1992. Known in her younger days as Patricia McCahill, the Olympic hopeful was abused by Gibney from the age of thirteen. The abuse lasted over seven years. The case against Gibney was subsequently dropped following an appeal, but his crimes were later outed by journalist Johnny Watterson in a piece for the Sunday Tribune. Now nearly thirty years on, he remains a free man, who has never stood trial for his actions. In her memoir Above Water, Trish writes about the child she once was, growing up in a happy family who nurtured her talent and passion for swimming. She details the years of abuse suffered at the hands of her coach, a man trusted by her family and the wider community. In today’s episode, she speaks to Róisín Ingle about her stolen youth, coming to terms with the past and finding peace and happiness along the way.

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