Nenagh journalist wins justice award

Ronan described as a ‘stand-out winner’

A Nenagh-based newspaper reporter has won a major award for his coverage in highlighting how mentally ill people are often criminalised for actions over which their illness gives them little or no control, resulting in them ending up before the courts as law breakers.

Ronan Dodd won the the local media online print category in the Justice Media Awards run by the Law Society of Ireland, which were presented in Dublin last week.

At a sitting of Nenagh District Court on Thursday last, Judge Elizabeth MacGrath said she was delighted to learn the court reporter Mr Dodd had won a category award.

She said that while journalists might seem to be on the sidelines of the court, they played a very important role in society in that they highlighted the workings of the court. She said she was impressed that local newspapers in North Tipperary sent their reporters to court on a regular basis and that journalists like Mr Dodd were always responsible and never out to grab a cheap headline.

Judge MacGrath noted that Mr Dodd won his award for his coverage of a particular case that had come before her court. She said his story had highlighted a big gap in the Irish system of care for people who had mental health issues.

Sergeant Michael Keating, speaking on on behalf of An Garda Síochána, said Mr Dodd was always fair in his court reporting while Elizabeth McKeever, speaking on behalf of the legal profession, said it was very important that what happened in court was brought to the attention of the public and the local reporters did a very good job in this aspect.

Court Clerk Tommy Mockler, in also congratulating Mr Dodd, said it was obvious that the reporters were very diligent. He had come to this conclusion because he frequently found himself assisting them in the early mornings and long in to the evenings.

Responding, Mr Dodd thanked everyone for their kinds words and said he was merely the conduit for a very important story about shortcomings in mental health sector that needed to be told.

He said that in his coverage of the courts over the years he had seen so many people with mental health issues who had been wrongly criminalised. What these people badly needed was help and not to be brought before the legal system for law breaking.

In their citation the judges said of Mr Dodd's stories: “This classic reporting shone a light on how mental illness collides with the criminal-justice system. It is excellent reporting on a serious and relevant issue, which is not covered much elsewhere. A stand-out winner.”

Mr Dodd started his career with the Irish Press where he worked as a sub editor in the newspaper's Dublin offices. Husband of former local Labour Party councillor Virginia O' Dowd, he has worked for many years now in the regional media sector serving with the Midland Tribune, Limerick Leader and currently the Tipperary Star.