His behaviour was marked by a level of depravity, as the young boys he preyed on were stripped, handcuffed and photographed in the course of the abuse. Yet the paedophile has refused to accept that he ruined the lives of his victims.
He used his family name to evade justice, taunting his victims that they would not be believed due to his connections. Kenneally came from a dynasty steeped in Waterford city politics.
The first reports of Kenneally’s crimes were made to gardaí in the mid-1980s, yet for decades no firm action was taken. He was not arrested until 2013.
He was sentenced to 14 years and two months by Waterford Circuit Criminal Court in 2016, and then four years and six months by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2023.
A Commission of Investigation was set up to examine how state authorities, the Catholic church, politicians and sporting organisations dealt with allegations of sexual abuse made by his victims.
In his testimony to the tribunal, Kenneally claimed he had not done anything wrong, and his criminal actions were consensual.
Mr Justice Michael White, the chairman of the Commission of Investigation, was clear, though, that Kenneally’s actions were one of the most serious cases of paedophilia ever to be uncovered in this country.
The final report found there was a clear and serious dereliction of duty by senior gardaí, even by the standards of the time.
The report said there may not be evidence of widespread collusion by state authorities in preventing a prosecution, but the failure to investigate the matter properly in the 1980s had devastating consequences for the victims.
Nevertheless, members of Kenneally’s family, who had occupied positions of influence, were contacted by a senior garda at the time and arrangements were made for Kenneally to see a psychiatrist. His position in society protected him from prosecution.
A senior officer failed to pursue an investigation, notify health authorities or even listen to advice from his peers.
“He misjudged the nature of Bill Kenneally’s offending – he had the sense that Bill Kenneally was from a very decent, well-thought-of family in Waterford who were a political dynasty in Waterford. There is no doubt that Bill Kenneally received objectively favourable treatment in 1987/88,” the inquiry report said.
The commission has urged new legislation to bring in a criminal offence for Misconduct in Public Office. Such a recommendation will now be passed to the Law Reform Commission for examination.
The lessons from the Kenneally case cannot simply be consigned to history. Modern policing methods and public awareness mean such a case surely could not happen again. In light of the commission’s findings, there is an onus on the Government to act on the recommendations.