Dana Rosemary Scallon settles defamation actions against The Irish Times and Meta

High Court Reporter

Dana Rosemary Scallon has settled a defamation action against The Irish Times and Facebook owner Meta, marking the final resolution in a string of lawsuits brought by the singer over media reporting of a criminal trial involving her brother.

In 2014, Scallon’s brother John Brown was unanimously acquitted after being tried over historic sexual offences.

Scallon brought defamation actions against publishers, including against The Irish Times and Meta.

At the High Court on Tuesday, Judge Tony O’Connor was told Scallon’s action had settled, and could be struck out.

The terms of settlement between the parties was not disclosed.

In 2023, Scallon settled a defamation action against the publishers of the Daily Mail in the High Court in Belfast. She received a six-figure sum in damages as part of the agreement.

In 2021, she settled a similar action against publisher of the Sunday World.

Scallon first came to public prominence when she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1970 with All Kinds Of Everything.

She went into politics in 1997 and served as an MEP for Connacht-Ulster from 1999 to 2004. She stood in the 2002 general election seeking a Dáil seat for Galway West as an independent but failed to be elected.

She also twice stood unsuccessfully as an independent candidate in presidential elections, in 2004 and 2011.