GRACIOUS IN defeat, Ryanair’s head of communications Stephen McNamara said the airline would consider an application from former Miss World Rosanna Davison to appear in its 2012 charity calendar.
Speaking to reporters outside the Four Courts yesterday evening Mr McNamara said Ryanair would be appealing the €80,000 in damages awarded to Ms Davison for defamation. However, in a later statement the company said that on further consideration it had decided not to bother.
Within minutes of the end of the case Ms Davison posted a message to her Twitter account which read: “Thank you for all your support over the past week xx”.
Speaking outside the court she said she was “delighted” and said she had “really appreciated” the support she had received.
When Ms Davison was asked what she intended to do with the money, her solicitor Paul Tweed said it would be “inappropriate to comment at this stage”.
Ms Davison would not answer further questions but Mr Tweed said she was very satisfied with the outcome and “complete vindication” of her reputation.
“She has shown considerable personal courage in bringing this action, however justice has been done and Rosanna just wants to put this behind her and get on with her life and successful career,” Mr Tweed said.
Mr McNamara, emerging from the courts just behind Ms Davison, said he had not yet spoken to Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary. “I rang my mam first,” he said. He said he still stood by the right of the company to defend the calendar and he didn’t believe any apology was required for mounting that defence.
It would be a “good outcome” if Ms Davison chose to give her award to the charity which benefited from the calendar, the Dublin Simon Community, said Mr McNamara, but that was for her to decide.
When asked if Irish girls would be represented in the 2012 calendar he said: “Rosanna herself can apply.
“If she wants to apply we’ll consider her, but the best girls will always get in.”
Ms Davison was awarded €40,000 in compensatory damages and €40,000 in aggravated damages. In its statement last night Ryanair said in light of the fact the award of €40,000 for damages was less than the cost of an appeal to the Supreme Court, it had decided not to bother appealing and was “very happy with this outcome”.
