Convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally (75) dies serving sentence for abuse of 15 boys

Convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally has died in prison just over a week after the publication of a report investigating the State’s response to his crimes.

RTÉ News has reported that the 75-year-old died in the Midlands Prison in the early hours of this morning.

The former basketball coach was under the care of the prison service health care team at the time of his death.

He was 10 years into his 19-year sentence for the indecent assault of 15 young boys in Waterford between 1979 and 1990.

In February 2016, he pleaded guilty to 10 sample counts of indecent assault involving 10 boys aged between 13 and 16, committed between 1984 and 1987.

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He was sentenced to 14 years and 2 months in prison.

In May 2023, he pleaded guilty to a further 13 sample counts of indecent assault involving five additional boys, relating to abuse between 1979 and 1990.

He received an additional four and a half year consecutive sentence.

A cousin of former Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Kenneally, Kenneally came from a family with considerable political standing in Waterford.

His death comes just over a week after the publication of a report investigating the State response to his crimes.

A Commission of Investigation set up to examine the response to Kenneally’s crimes found there was a clear and serious dereliction of duty by senior gardaí at the time.

Gardaí had received information about his abuse as early as 1987 but failed to properly investigate.

The final report of the years-long public inquiry was published on Tuesday, June 9.

Earlier this week, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan confirmed the commencement of the formal process for offering a State apology to the victims of Kenneally’s crimes.