Associated Newspapers has apologised to an Irish businessman in the Dublin high court for falsely accusing him of being a drug dealer.
The allegation appeared in the Irish editions of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday in December 2010 in reports of the funeral of RTE broadcaster Gerry Ryan. One article was headlined "Convicted drugs dealer was at Gerry's funeral".
But, in a statement read to the court, the publisher accepted that Cosgrave was not a convicted drug dealer and had never dealt in drugs. The newspapers unreservedly apologised for the injury to his reputation and for the distress an embarrassment caused to him.
Cosgrave's counsel, Frank Callinan, told the judge the matter had been resolved.
Sources: Irish Times/Irish Independent
