By Evan Short
info@monaghanpost.com

CONTROVERSIAL Judge Sean McBride has apologised for comments he made about Tyrone people following a storm of protest over his remarks.

Last week in Monaghan District Court Judge McBride referred to the “thickness” of Tyrone people after a woman wrongly accused of a public order offense expressed her exasperation at having to attend court.

Delaying the start of Clones District Court yesterday (Wednesday) Judge McBride read a pre prepared statement in which he explained that the comments made to Sarah McGrath were said at the end of a “long day’s work” and that he has “nothing but regard for the people of Tyrone.”

He went on to apologise for the fact that the comments were interpreted as a slight on the county.

Welcoming the apology, Sinn Féin Tyrone MLA Barry McElduff said despite the apology he was still pursuing the case with the Irish government because of the outstanding issue of Sarah McGrath’s legal case.

“I welcome the apology to the people of Tyrone. It’s good that Judge Seán Martin McBride has got his head around the fact that the makeup and constitution of the Tyrone people is such that we do not receive slights or insults too easily.”

“Judge McBride may have bowed to public pressure but I don’t want to detract from his apology because apologies do not come easy to people.”

The MLA said he would now seek to have the Irish government apologise for the fact Sarah McGrath appeared in court at all.

“I am speaking now from Dáil Éireann and I am currently pursuing an apology from the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern because I want him to intervene. She shouldn’t have been in court in the first place,”

he said.

Judge Sean McBride’s Statement at Clones District Court on Wednesday, May 21

AN interaction occurred last week in Monaghan District Court, which was widely published and which I wish to address.

During a long day’s work, whilst I was trying to assist a lady who was wrongly prosecuted due to mistaken identity, I regret that I passed a comment that was totally inappropriate about Tyrone People. This comment was never meant to be offensive as I have nothing but regard for the people of Tyrone, but clearly to those reading the article it came across otherwise. For this I apologise.