Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey faced criticism in the build to last week's elections after it emerged that she filed legal proceedings against the Dean Hotel after she fell from a swing. The swing has been cleverly dubbed the 'Tinder Swing' due to its popularity as a profile image on the dating app. Bailey has since dropped the personal injury claim against the Dublin hotel.
Speaking this morning to Sean O'Rourke on RTÉ Radio, Bailey defended her position stating that she has done nothing wrong. She opened the interview by stating she only wanted to recoup her medical expenses and was never looking for compensation. She describes what has unfolded as a result of the media backlash as a "hugely distressing, intrusive, abusive week".
When asked about the night in question, Bailey said she had a glass of wine at her friend's house before going to the Dean Hotel. At the venue, she states she and her friend purchased one drink each but did not consume the drinks. They then proceeded to the swing, where she highlights "nobody was drunk and nobody was messing". She states she sat on the swing, which was a highly polished wooden seat while holding a bottle of beer. She recalls that she was reaching for her friend's wine and the next thing she knew she was had slipped to the ground. The next morning she went to a hospital emergency department and attended intensive physiotherapy for the next three weeks following the incident.
In the interview, she is heavily critical of the media stating that she has been "the subject of clickbait". She accuses the media of crossing "the line of humanity and invasion”. She also added:
I am so passionate about my job and I am not going to bow down to keyboard warriors and bullies
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You can listen to the full interview here:
