Dr John Ennis, head of the School of Humanities at Waterford Institute of Technology (IT), told the Irish Independent it was “fruitless to speculate on something I don’t have hard evidence on.

“I don’t recall writing it,” he said. “It is at such a remove and there is nothing in the records. There is no copy of it here. I don’t have a record of what was supposed to have been written.”

Dr John Ennis co-authored a poetry book with Dr Niall McElwee in 2006. A reveiw of this (see link on this blog site) commends him on his memory –

“John Ennis in his beautiful heartfelt poem subtitled, A Keen At The Gates Of The Heart, continues his inspirational links and journeys in Newfoundland. He grew up in the midlands where his uncle Larry was a railway man with his flag stickler, breast pocket watch and whistle. Ennis carries this romance of memory with little or no reference to Celtic Mythology to embrace the personae of hardworking engineers coming from Pertshire in Scotland and other far-flung places…”

Isn`t it strange that Dr John Ennis interviewed Niall McElwee for his first post in WIT, was Head of Department when Niall McElwee was promoted, was his line manager while the several different female members of staff complained about him, continued to stay in contact with Dr Niall McElwee after he left WIT to publish the above poetry book – (published by School of Humanities at Waterford I. T. and Centre for Child and Youth Care Learning at Athlone I.T.) YET cannot remember whether he gave Dr Niall McElwee a reference .. ????

Isn`t it strange too that WIT have stated clearly that nobody from their organisation gave a reference in an OFFICIAL capacity for Dr Niall McElwee ??

The fact is that a fellow lecturer in Waterford I. T. reported their concerns in 1998, re the material that Niall McElwee was showing to his students on the child care course and also, apparently, to Art students; and, according to Dr. Frances Finnegan, for some time “no action was taken”.

I know that everything seems very clear in hindsight, but this was 9 years ago.

In the meantime, we have the case of his behaviour in the disco in Athlone and the conviction in Amsterdam.

Don’t shoot the messenger.

http://www.munster-express.ie/070105/news8.html

In the Irish independent (ur link above, MP) Ennis cannot recall doing a reference for McElwee for the AIT job. the other two refs for the post were child care experts.