A man who worked as a tennis coach in the northwest of Ireland in recent years has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for child sex offences in Britain.
Seán Francis McGranaghan, of Mill Apartments, Dromahair, Co. Leitrim, was found guilty of two counts of attempting sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.
Kevin Quinn, head of Tennis Ireland, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland yesterday that McGranaghan worked in at least four Irish clubs, including Sligo, Butthall in Donegal, Manorhamilton in Leitrim, and Castlebar in Mayo.
McGranaghan – described as a dangerous individual by British police – had gone through his Garda vetting and further verification checks before being granted a licence in Ireland.
‘He came across our radar in July 2021 when we would have helped process his Garda vetting application, and following that he would have undertaken an assimilation process which is what we do for all coaches who have other international coaching qualifications,’ said Mr Quinn.
Tennis Ireland said a review is underway but it is ‘not aware of any inappropriate behaviour’ relating to McGranaghan here. McGranaghan, who had pleaded not guilty, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court following an investigation by the UK’s South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) last month.
McGranaghan was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sexual Offenders’ Register for life.
He first came to the attention of the SWROCU in January 2023, after making contact online with a person he thought was a child, but who was a specialist covert officer. The unit, who engaged with gardaí on the case, confirmed to RTÉ News that he was living in Ireland at the time.
McGranaghan then came to the attention of covert officers in the London Metropolitan Police area later last year, again communicating online with a person he believed was a child. He was arrested at Gatwick Airport in May 2023