Thursday 29 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 8506Harassment · Co. Clare · 21 Jul 2026

Fine Gael councillors report harassing phone calls to gardaí

Fine Gael councillors, including Cllr Mary Howard of Ennis, County Clare, have reported harassment to gardaí after receiving phone calls from a man since Sunday night, with up to thirty female councillors reportedly contacted. Howard received a call on the evening of Tuesday 21 July 2026 while in her garden in Ennis and described it as totally and wholly inappropriate. She hung up and did not answer follow-up calls from the same unknown number. No threats were made to any of the women, and she reported the matter to gardaí on the morning of Wednesday 22 July 2026. Fine Gael headquarters is looking into the matter with gardaí, and no arrest or charge has been reported.

  1. Reported22 Jul
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Fine Gael female councillors, including Cllr Mary Howard, have reported harassment to gardaí.
  • Up to thirty female Fine Gael councillors have received phone calls from a man since Sunday night.
  • No threats were made to any of the women.
  • Cllr Howard received a call and described the conversation as totally and wholly inappropriate.
Where
Cllr Howard was in her garden in Ennis, County Clare, when she received the call.
When
  • Cllr Howard received the call on the evening of Tuesday 21 July 2026.
  • Cllr Howard reported the matter to gardaí on the morning of Wednesday 22 July 2026.
Investigation
Fine Gael headquarters is looking into the matter along with gardaí.
Other details
Cllr Howard hung up and then received follow-up calls from the same unknown number, which she did not answer.
Charges
No arrest or charge has been reported in the sources.
10 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatFine Gael female councillors, including Cllr Mary Howard, have reported harassment to gardaí. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatUp to thirty female Fine Gael councillors have received phone calls from a male individual since Sunday night. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatNo threats were made to any of the women. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatCllr Howard received a call from a very sick individual. (clareecho.ie)
  • whatCllr Howard described the conversation as totally and wholly inappropriate. (clareecho.ie)
  • whereCllr Howard was in her garden in Ennis when she received a call. (clareecho.ie)
  • whenCllr Howard received the call on a Tuesday evening. (clareecho.ie)
  • whenCllr Howard reported the matter to gardaí on Wednesday morning. (clareecho.ie)
  • investigationFine Gael headquarters is looking into the matter along with gardaí. (clareecho.ie)
  • otherCllr Howard hung up and then received follow-up calls from the same unknown number, which she did not answer. (clareecho.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 22 Jul2026
    Reportedclareecho.ie, first report
    Cllr Howard makes report to Gardaí after 'horrendous phone call from sick individual' - Clare Echo

    Report of repeated phone calls from one man to up to thirty female Fine Gael councillors, including Cllr Mary Howard in Ennis. No threats were made, and Fine Gael headquarters is looking into the matter with gardaí.

    victim, Mary Howard, female, irish (judged from name)Mary Howardsuspect, male