One hundred years of the Irish Amateur Swimming Association (IASA) came to an end in Dublin yesterday amid stormy scenes. Delegates recounted in graphic and horrifying detail the sexual abuse suffered by children at the hands of IASA personnel.
There were heated exchanges as delegates expressed concern that Ms Alice McKibbin, the president of a new organisation, Swim Ireland, was a member of the IASA executive committee of 1993. One delegate at yesterday's meeting, Ms Maura Cunningham, said two nominees for the new board, Ms McKibbin and Mr Wally Clarke, were present at the executive committee meeting in 1993.
Asking that the two named individuals do not go forward for election, Ms Cunningham insisted: "There were rapes of children up to 1994, when people knew the person responsible had been dropped by a school in 1993."
An agenda for a meeting of the 1993 executive, dated January 10th, 1993, lists letters from swimmer Gary O'Toole and others making complaints against a swimming coach.
Ms McKibbin said last night that although the complaints were on the agenda of the 1993 meeting they were not discussed, as they were the subject of a Garda investigation.
The IASA's former secretary Ms Pat Donovan and treasurer Mr Wally Clarke have been appointed to the equivalent positions in the new body. The chairman is Mr Tim Wyatt. The board will hold office only until April of this year, when new elections are scheduled.
At the start of the meeting yesterday delegates overturned a recommendation by the outgoing officer board that the media be excluded from the meeting.
Last night a spokesman for the Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid, said he would not be taking action until he had received a full report from the new committee.
Yesterday's annual general meeting had been brought forward by three months at the Minister's request.
The Minister asked for "measures to protect young people in swimming."
