A Co. Armagh secondary school teacher who claims she has been wrongly named as “GAA catfish” in The 2 Johnnies podcast, was granted a temporary injunction from a school disciplinary hearing which could result in her being fired.
Niamh Farrell, from Portadown, Co Armagh, claims that the allegations are untrue and the whole episode is causing her deep distress. It is claimed that Farrell was adopting multiple online personalities and luring men in the GAA community into relationships under false pretences.
Senior Counsel told the High Court that Ms Farrell was shocked by the investigation report from her principal at Coláiste Éanna in Dublin earlier this month, setting out allegations against her.
Ms Farrell said the report by principal Seán Ó Murchú failed to comply “with even the most basic requirements of fair procedures and natural justice” and appeared to contain findings of fact which, she said, was “totally unfair”.
Ms Farrell said she had an unblemished disciplinary record and had never been the subject of any complaint about her work.
Ms Farrell said the principal had stated that when a third episode of the podcast was broadcast by The 2 Johnnies earlier this year, she had confirmed to him that she was the person to whom the podcast related.
However Ms Farrell said she told the principal she was aware allegations were being made online about her by people she did not know and at no time did she accept she had engaged in the activities outlined in the podcast.
She said she had always denied that she was the person behind the “GAA catfish”.
