JOHN LYNCH'S CAHIR CO TIPPERARY BUS BAN OVER SEX OFFENCE RECORD STANDS

In July 2004, a significant legal case unfolded involving John Lynch, a 64-year-old street musician from Cahir, Co Tipperary, who has a troubling history of sexual offences against children. Lynch sought to challenge the bus company's decision to exclude him from using their services, but his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

During a hearing in the Circuit Civil Court, Lynch argued that Bus Eireann's ban was unjustified and based solely on his prior convictions. He claimed that the company was violating statutory rules and regulations by refusing him access to their buses. Lynch's legal representative requested the court to issue an injunction that would compel Bus Eireann to allow him to travel as a fare-paying passenger and to prevent them from denying him service in the future.

According to the case details, Lynch had been refused boarding on the Cahir-Waterford bus route on August 28, 2002, and had been denied access on multiple subsequent occasions. His counsel highlighted that Lynch had been observed on one occasion with a child on his lap, which was part of the reason for the bus company's refusal.

Furthermore, Lynch's legal team stated that he had requested specific reasons for the refusal, but the company responded with a letter indicating that the bus driver had acted appropriately and in accordance with company policy. The implication was that the refusal was based on the incident involving the child, rather than Lynch's criminal record.

Representing Bus Eireann, Maire Whelan clarified that Lynch was mistaken in his understanding of the situation. She explained that the incident in question was related to a particular event involving a bus driver and a child, and was not connected to Lynch's past convictions. The court was thus informed that the bus company's decision was based on specific conduct observed on the bus, rather than Lynch's criminal history, and the court upheld the ban, maintaining that Lynch's prior offences did not entitle him to special treatment or access to the bus service.