Tug of Love toddler sent back to Ireland without his mother

5-year-old flies from Chicago to father’s arms after custody battle

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LAURA BRYN SISSON,

Irish Voice Reporter

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Mary and Jack Redmond

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But according to the 2011 Illinois state decision in the custody matter, for which the state court communicated with the Irish court, “The [Irish] Court indicated that it was not going to incarcerate Ms. Redmond for violating its orders, because she has a four-year-old child for which to care.”

Mr. Redmond’s lawyer also said that neither the Irish court system nor his client had any desire or intention to incarcerate the mother if she returned to Ireland. Mr. Redmond said his client had always promoted the idea of Jack spending some time in the United States with his mother and her family, and would continue to arrange a plan for Jack’s visits once his plane landed in Ireland.

The whole saga started in 1996, when Mary Redmond, who was born in the United States but additionally holds Irish citizenship through her Irish-born father, attended college in Ireland and began a relationship with Derek Redmond, of Ballymurphy, Co. Carlow.

The couple lived together in Ireland for a decade, where Ms. Redmond worked and pursued a second degree before her pregnancy in 2006.

By mutual agreement of the parents, Jack Redmond was born in Illinois on March 28, 2007. Both parents returned with the child- who holds dual citizenship- to Ireland when the child was eleven days old.

According to the federal court, the parents’ return to Ireland demonstrated their mutual intent to raise Jack there.

However, according to Ms. Redmond’s mother, Derek Redmond verbally agreed to start a steel welding business in Illinois with Ms. Redmond’s father, and his return to Ireland with Mary and their son was always a temporary arrangement for the purpose of settling his business affairs.

Mary Redmond left Derek Redmond permanently on November 10, 2011, multiple courts found, taking their son with her to Illinois.

The Cook County district court’s ruling, which was based solely on Mary Redmond’s testimony, states under ‘Findings’ that “Mr. Redmond was clearly abusive.”

Mr. Redmond’s lawyer said that his client had not had the opportunity to defend himself on the abuse allegations when that finding was issued.

The Cook County decision also found that the Irish court had jurisdiction over Jack’s custody because Mr. Redmond filed in Ireland for both custody and guardianship- equivalent to American parental rights for an illegitimate child -within six months of his son’s initial permanent departure from Ireland.

Ms. Redmond returned with Jack to Ireland in 2008, to collect her personal belongings, according to statements to the courts and to the Irish Voice.

But while in Ireland, Ms. Redmond also consulted a community welfare officer in Co. Carlow, according to the federal court record. Ms. Redmond’s legal team stated in the federal case that during the meeting, Ms. Redmond asked about maintenance payments for her son. Mr. Redmond’s legal team stated that the application was for “periodic payments” from HSE Community Welfare in Ireland, which Ms. Redmond and her child would have to reside in Ireland to receive, according to the federal record.

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