BY DARA BRADLEY

Legal papers have been served on both Galway City Council and a former Mayor by a well-known city athlete over alleged defamatory remarks made surrounding the staging of a marathon in Galway that subsequently did not go-ahead.

‘Marathon man’, Richard Donovan, has confirmed to the Galway City Tribune that solicitors acting on his behalf have issued summonses to Galway City Councillor, Mike Crowe, in relation to remarks the Fianna Fáil Councillor made about the organising of the 2010 Galway Marathon, and about the following year’s planned race, which did not go-ahead.

Mr Donovan said Galway City Council is ‘tied’ into the legal action and has also been served – previously Mr Donovan indicated that because Cllr Crowe used City Council resources, email, to make what he describes as “serious and untrue allegations” that the local authority was also culpable.

The legal firm, which includes ‘solicitor to the stars’, Paul Tweed, has been engaged by Mr Donovan to fight the action – the well-known media libel lawyer has previously successfully represented the Galway man against Forbes Magazine.

Mr Donovan last year had asked that Cllr Crowe and the Council take an advert out in various local newspapers “apologising for Cllr Crowe’s untrue statements”.

Yesterday, he told the Galway City Tribune that he had “no option” but to issue proceedings.

“I gave them every opportunity to consider their position. This is not something I’ve gone into gung-ho. I asked them to unreservedly apologise for their remarks, which in my opinion seriously damaged my reputation, and they have yet to correct that. I was given no option,” he said.

A Council spokesperson yesterday said: “There has been correspondence between Mr Donovan and the legal department of Galway City Council.”

Cllr Crowe, who was Mayor of Galway around the time the marathon didn’t proceed as planned, at the time said he would not apologise and he reiterated that yesterday.

“I believe that my position at the time was warranted and my stance on the matter has not changed since receiving the legal letter in the past week,” said Cllr Crowe.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.