Former Irish Olympic swimming coach George Gibney arrested in Florida

FORMER IRISH OLYMPIC swimming coach George Gibney has been arrested by US authorities in Florida this afternoon.

He was taken into custody by US Marshals on foot of an Irish extradition warrant and is being detained pending a court appearance.

Gardaí have been investigating fresh allegations that Gibney sexually abused multiple children in his care while working as a swimming coach in Ireland decades ago.

The investigation was reopened in 2020 after several individuals made allegations on a BBC and Second Captains podcast titled ‘Where is George Gibney?’, prompting a specialist unit within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau to begin a detailed inquiry.

After a three-year investigation, a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who recommended charging Gibney.

In a statement today, gardaí said that they are”aware of the arrest of a male aged in his 70s in the United States” on the foot of an Irish international arrest warrant.

“As this is currently a matter for the US authorities, An Garda Síochána will not be commenting further at this time,” a spokesperson said.

Gibney was the founder of the Trojan Swimming Club in Blackrock in Dublin, where he also worked as a coach. He was also the Irish national swimming coach until 1991.

Now aged in his 70s, he was previously charged with 27 sexual offences in 1993.

However, the charges of indecent assault and unlawful carnal knowledge were dropped in 1994 after he secured an injunction in the High Court preventing the DPP from prosecuting him.

Gibney left Ireland and moved to Scotland where he continued to work as a swimming coach. He has lived in the United States since 1995.

In 1997, a garda investigation into Gibney was opened after fresh allegations were made against him. This investigation did not result in a prosecution.

In 2020, the ‘Where is George Gibney?’ podcast, a ten-part investigative series produced by BBC Sounds and Second Captains, gave an in-depth at look the circumstances and child abuse accusations surrounding Gibney.

The series centred on the survivors of sexual abuse by Gibney, and it became one of the most impactful pieces of journalism of recent years – many new survivors came forward to tell their story, and gardaí commenced a new investigation after the podcast was broadcast.

An appeal was issued for people with any information to come forward. A number of alleged victims did come forward with allegations.

The DPP would be free to seek Gibney’s extradition from the US if it was to proceed with charges.