Court archive
Court reports mentioning Kilrush, Clare
2026-02-13 · Clare
A murderer who claimed he was acting in self-defence when he stabbed his ex-partner's boyfriend to death has failed in an appeal against his conviction. Nassar Ahmed (45) of The Mews, Kilrush Road, Ennis, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Eoin Boylan (32) at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, on April 14th, 2020. The trial jury found Ahmed guilty of murder after deliberating for just two hours and five minutes, rejecting his claim of self-defence. Ahmed was sentenced to life imprisonment by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon in July 2022. The prosecution argued that Ahmed had invited Boylan to a fist fight and then stabbed him in a 'sneak attack' while concealing a knife. Ahmed told gardaí he grabbed a sharp object but could not remember what it was or where he threw it. The prosecution described his lies as 'borderline laughable'. The jury watched CCTV footage showing Boylan retreating from the attack. Ahmed admitted to unlawfully killing Boylan but claimed self-defence. The jury rejected his claim, finding he was the aggressor.
2026-01-19 · Clare
Raymond Donovan (44), who murdered his ex-girlfriend 21 years ago, had his claim that the Court of Criminal Appeal had substituted his life sentence with a 20-year term dismissed by the High Court. Mr Justice Garrett Simons ruled that Donovan had no basis for his claim and that it caused distress to the victim's family. Donovan, formerly of New Houses, Cooraclare, Co Clare, strangled his former girlfriend, Ann Walsh (23), to death in 2005. He launched a High Court bid for release, claiming the Court of Appeal had substituted his sentence, but no detention warrant proved this. The court found that the Central Criminal Court could not direct any other sentence than the mandatory life imprisonment for murder. Donovan's application was dismissed, and the judge said there was no basis for his claim of legality over his imprisonment. Raymond Donovan was convicted.
2026-01-16 · Clare
Convicted murderer Raymond Donovan has applied to the High Court for his release from prison, claiming that the Court of Appeal replaced his life sentence with a 20-year term. Donovan, who strangled his former girlfriend Ann Walsh to death on the grounds of a church in 2005, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2006. He now argues that the Court of Appeal substituted his sentence, and that prison authorities do not have the necessary documents to justify his continued detention. In an ex-parte application, Donovan's legal team successfully sought permission to inquire into his detention, citing Article 40.4.2 of the Constitution. He claims that prison officials have provided him with documents indicating a 20-year sentence, but he has been unable to obtain a copy of the Court of Appeal's warrant. Donovan is seeking a full inquiry into the legality of his detention and potentially bail. The High Court has adjourned the matter for further proceedings. At his trial, Donovan admitted to choking Ms Walsh but claimed he did not intend to kill her.
2025-12-08 · Clare
Nassar Ahmed, 45, of Ennis, is appealing his murder conviction for the killing of Eoin Boylan, 32, at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, on April 14, 2020. Ahmed had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claiming self-defence. However, a jury unanimously found him guilty of murder, rejecting his defence and accepting the prosecution's allegation that he stabbed Boylan three times in a "sneak attack" after inviting him to a fist fight while concealing a knife. In July 2022, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon sentenced Ahmed to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court. During the appeal hearing, Michael Bowman SC, representing Ahmed, argued that the trial judge erred in her ruling on how certain evidence was presented, contending that the verdicts should be set aside. Conversely, Lorcan Staines SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, asserted that the trial judge's ruling was entirely correct. The three-judge Court of Appeal, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, reserved judgment and will deliver its decision at a later date. The matter was adjourned.
2024-10-09 · Waterford
In a Court of Appeal hearing on 9 October 2024, Mr Justice John Edwards dismissed the appeal of 31‑year‑old Richard Walsh, a boxer from Congress Villas, Dungarvan, who had been convicted of assault causing harm for striking a woman with an iron bar at Kilrush Park on 30 November 2020. The appeal centred on two grounds: that the mobile‑phone footage used at trial had been edited, and that the trial judge had misdirected the jury on self‑defence. Mr Justice Edwards found the footage to be authentic, not hearsay, and that no evidence suggested manipulation. He also held that the judge's instructions on self‑defence were adequate and that the jury's decision was sound. Consequently, the appeal was rejected, leaving the original conviction and sentence of two and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended, in place. The court's judgment was delivered in the Court of Appeal, Waterford.
2024-05-30 · Waterford
Richard Walsh, of Congress Villas, Dungarvan, Waterford, appealed his jury conviction for assault causing harm at Kilrush Park, Dungarvan, on November 30, 2020. He was originally sentenced by Judge Eugene O'Kelly at Waterford Courthouse to two and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended. Defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC argued that the trial judge incorrectly applied an objective standard to the reasonableness of force, contending that a subjective test regarding Walsh's honest belief in self-defence was required. Walsh alleged that after an organised fight, the victim threw an iron bar at his head, prompting him to push her in anticipation of further violence. Mr Justice John Edwards noted that Walsh was armed with the bar, was a stronger adult male, and had an opportunity to retreat. The judge described the incident as occurring after the victim, a supporter of one of the fighters, was "mouthing off" and throwing the bar, which Walsh picked up before advancing on her. Defence counsel also raised concerns about incomplete mobile phone footage and the inability to verify the recorder's identity or potential editing. State counsel Conor O'Doherty BL countered that the jury was properly directed to consider both subjective context and objective necessity, highlighting the significant size disparity between the boxer and the victim. The Court of Appeal reserved judgement in the matter.
2024-04-26 · Clare
Patrick Honan, 69, was sentenced to 13 years' custody with 18 months suspended for 48 counts of rape and indecent assault against his daughter Noreen Honan, aged 3½ to 16, between 1977 and 1989 at their family home in Doonbeg, Co Clare. The judge, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford, praised Ms Honan's dignified conduct and bravery, noting the prolonged abuse, breach of trust and age disparity. Honan had previously applied to keep his identity confidential, citing potential harm to his wider family, but the court rejected this. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his custody entry. The judge also directed that Honan must not approach Ms Honan now or in the future. The unnamed accused was found guilty.
2024-03-21 · Clare
In March 2024, the Central Criminal Court activated the suspended one‑year portion of Robbie Walsh's eight‑year manslaughter sentence after he attacked Martin Burke and threatened to kill him on 25 July 2023, just months after his release from prison. Walsh, 28, had been found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Karl "Gobbo" Haugh, 25, in 2019. He had served five years and eight months of his sentence and was released on 23 March 2023. On 28 February 2024, Walsh was sentenced to 15 months for assault, a threat to kill and criminal damage. The judge, citing Walsh's history of serious offending and the violence involved, imposed the full 12‑month suspended term to commence after the expiry of the 15‑month sentence. The court noted that the offences occurred within months of his release.
2023-05-24 · Limerick
Inita Romanovska, 36, was due before the Central Criminal Court for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to attempting to cause serious harm to Stephen O'Flaherty, whom she met on Tinder. The alleged incident occurred on 11 March 2020 at an apartment complex on Henry St, Limerick. Romanovska, residing at Cahercalla, Kilrush Road, Ennis, Co Clare, had originally been charged with attempting to murder O'Flaherty. Her lawyer, Michael Bowman SC, confirmed she did not attend the hearing and was unreachable by phone. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon issued a bench warrant and postponed the sentencing hearing.
2023-02-24 · Limerick
Inita Romanovska, a 36‑year‑old single mother from Latvia living in Ennis, was charged with attempting to murder Stephen O'Flaherty after an incident at an apartment complex on Henry Street, Limerick, on 11 March 2020. The original indictment included a charge of attempted murder, but at the court's mention she pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of intentionally trying to cause serious harm. The case had been delayed for over two years due to a pandemic‑related backlog. Her defence barrister, Mr Michael Bowman SC, informed Judge Paul McDermott that Romanovska could be arraigned on the second count of the indictment. The judge accepted a request for a pre‑sentence report and directed a victim impact report. Romanovska remains on bail, with her trial date vacated and a sentencing hearing scheduled for 23 May. The incident involved a man she had met on Tinder, and they had gone on several dates but were not in a relationship.
2022-10-25 · Clare
In a High Court appeal-stage matter, Davy Fitzgerald, represented by Ronnie Hudson BL and solicitor Max Mooney, contested proceedings brought by Pepper Finance and receiver James Anderson against him and his sister Helen Fitzgerald. The plaintiffs sought possession of a property in Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, where Helen resides. Fitzgerald claimed he was a victim of fraud by former ACC Bank official Kevin Jarlath Mitchell, who was jailed in April 2013 after pleading guilty to theft, obtaining cash and a cheque under false pretences, and falsifying a DIRT compliance certificate between January 1993 and February 2012. Mitchell's four-year sentence was later halved on appeal. Fitzgerald alleged Mitchell falsely added his name to Portuguese mortgage documents and that €45,000 in deposits is unaccounted for. He argued that Pepper Finance, described as a vulture fund, was preventing him from redeeming a €200,000 mortgage by demanding an unjustified €25,000 interest surcharge. Deputy Master John Glennon initially struck out the case due to the plaintiffs' non-appearance. However, after the plaintiffs requested reinstatement, citing a brief delay, and Fitzgerald's counsel opposed, Glennon stated he lacked the power to reverse the decision without party consent. He noted the matter would likely be reinstated on appeal or re-issued, effectively leaving the case unresolved and subject to further procedural steps.
2022-07-26 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court sentencing hearing, mother Catherine Martin recounted the death of her son Eoin Boylan, 32, who was stabbed to death by Nassar Ahmed, 41, on 14 April 2020. Martin described how Ahmed, who had been living with Boylan's partner Susan O'Doherty, entered the house during a lockdown argument, lunged at Boylan with a knife and stabbed him three times. CCTV footage showed the attack, and the jury convicted Ahmed of murder after two hours. Justice Eileen Creedon imposed a mandatory life sentence. Martin's testimony highlighted the personal grief and the impact of Boylan's death on his family, while the prosecution argued the attack was a deliberate "sneak attack" and not self‑defence. The defence acknowledged the moral culpability of the act but maintained that Ahmed's fear justified his use of force.
2022-06-27 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Nassar Ahmed, aged 41, was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury after stabbing Eoin Boylan, 32, three times in a "sneak attack" at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis. Ahmed had invited Boylan to a fist fight while concealing a knife, then stabbed him as Boylan was retreating. CCTV footage showed the attack, and Ahmed claimed self‑defence, but the jury rejected this, concluding he was the aggressor. The judge remanded Ahmed in custody pending sentencing on 26 July, when Boylan's family may address the court. Ahmed faces the mandatory life sentence for murder. The trial also noted Ahmed's prior plea of not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Boylan in 2020, and his history of a failed marriage to Susan O'Doherty, who later dated Boylan. The case highlighted the jury's swift two‑hour deliberation and the prosecution's emphasis on Ahmed's lies to Gardaí about the weapon used.
2022-06-24 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 42‑year‑old Nassar Ahmed was accused of deliberately stabbing his former partner's boyfriend, Eoin Boylan, during a "sneak attack" at Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, on 14 April 2020. Prosecutor Lorcan Staines argued that Ahmed invited Boylan to a fist fight while concealing a knife, then stabbed him three times while Boylan was in manifest retreat. Staines described the stabbings as intentional, deliberate and repeated, noting that the wounds were precise and that Ahmed's actions were not self‑defence. He also highlighted that Ahmed repeatedly lied to Gardaí about the weapon used, calling the lies "borderline laughable." The prosecution maintained that the case involved an intentional attack, not a defensive response, and that the alleged self‑defence claim was untenable. The trial was set to continue before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury. Nassar Ahmed pleaded not guilty.
2022-06-23 · Clare
Nassar Ahmed, 42, was accused of murdering Eoin Boylan, 32, on 14 April 2020. Ahmed denied any bad intentions and claimed he acted in self‑defence, saying he grabbed a sharp object and stabbed Boylan after Boylan approached him. CCTV footage showed Boylan backing away after the first blow. Ahmed could not recall the object or where he threw it. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Witnesses described a confrontation between Ahmed, wearing a red baseball hat, and Boylan, noting a sharp metal object in Ahmed's hand. Ahmed's statements to Gardaí and a friend confirmed he believed he was defending himself. The case was set for trial before Justice Eileen Creedon with a jury of twelve.
2022-06-22 · Clare
In the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Nassar Ahmed, 41, accused of murdering Eoin Boylan, 32, had called Boylan's former partner a "whore" moments before the fatal confrontation. Ahmed pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. Witness Catherine Martin testified that Ahmed was angry and shouted at her son, who tried to intervene. She described Ahmed standing on his toes and lunging at her son, who was then struck and later died from stab wounds. Ahmed claimed he had picked up a sharp object to defend himself after Boylan tried to fight him. Garda testimony noted Ahmed's arrest on suspicion of assault causing harm. The trial continued with the issue of self‑defence to be considered by the jury.
2022-06-16 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the prosecution told a jury that 41‑year‑old Nassar Ahmed, who pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, killed Eoin Boylan, 32, in Ennis on 14 April 2020. Ahmed, originally from Sudan, had lived in Ennis since the mid‑2000s, married a local woman in 2007, and had three children. The marriage ended in November 2018. In late 2019, Ahmed's former partner met Boylan and they began a relationship, with Boylan moving into the partner's house shortly thereafter. On the day of the incident, a dispute arose when Ahmed called the partner to come to the house. Witnesses and partial CCTV footage showed Ahmed striking Boylan three times, after which Boylan fell and suffered stab‑like injuries. A pathologist concluded Boylan was stabbed to death. The prosecution will argue that the issue of self‑defence must be considered by the jury.
2021-02-24 · Cavan
The Central Criminal Court and Special Criminal Court have adjourned multiple trials due to the pandemic backlog. Inita Romanovska, 34, of Ennis, Co Clare, is charged with the alleged attempted murder of a man she met on Tinder during an incident in Limerick in March 2020. Her trial, previously scheduled for 2021, was adjourned to March 6, 2023. Mr Justice Michael White noted that jury trials will not resume until late March or April 2022, pending safety assessments. Meanwhile, at the Special Criminal Court, the trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney was adjourned from March 1 to May 31, 2022. The accused are Luke O'Reilly, 66, of Co Cavan; Darren Redmond, 25, of Dublin 3; and Alan O'Brien, 38, of Dublin 1. They face charges of false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney in September 2019. Mr Justice Tony Hunt stated that the five-party trial could not proceed in March due to public health restrictions and would run for 12 weeks starting in late May. A fifth unnamed male is also charged with the same offences. All matters remain at the procedural stage of fixing trial dates, with no pleas entered or findings made.
2021-02-24 · Limerick
Inita Romanovska, 34, from Latvia, is charged with attempted murder after an incident at a Limerick apartment complex on 11 March 2020. She met the alleged victim on Tinder and they had several dates but were not in a relationship. Romanovska did not attend the Central Criminal Court in Dublin where Mr Justice Michael White had scheduled her trial for 6 March 2023. The trial is delayed for over two years because of a pandemic‑related backlog, with the court prioritising cases where the accused is in custody. She was granted bail last March.
2019-06-19 · Clare
The High Court has been asked to consider a dispute between Clare County Council and Bernard and Helen McDonagh over the Ashline site on Kilrush Road, Ennis. The McDonaghs say they have a tenancy at the site, having moved their caravans there in November 2017, and that the council wrongfully breached that tenancy by surrendering it in 2012 after a fire. They argue the council failed to fulfil its statutory duties to provide Traveller‑specific accommodation and that it acted without political will or funding. The council, represented by James Connolly SC, counters that the McDonaghs unlawfully moved their caravans onto the site after the council removed bollards, and that the site was unsafe and uninsurable after arson attacks. The council seeks possession of the land and a permanent injunction preventing the McDonaghs from using the site, and also seeks orders to remove them from other Ennis locations deemed unsuitable.
2019-04-08 · Clare
A 23‑year‑old drug addict, Robbie Walsh, was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment with one year suspended for manslaughter after stabbing Karl "Gobbo" Haugh in the back during a row at Marion Estate, Kilkee, in August 2017. The court found that Walsh had not brought a knife to the scene; the knife used was taken from a kitchen block belonging to Haugh's friend. Walsh pleaded guilty to manslaughter and had previously been convicted of drug‑related offences. The judge noted his cooperation with Gardaí and his remorse, and reduced the headline sentence from ten to eight years. The suspended year was to run for three years, back‑dated to the date of his arrest. The sentence was imposed at the Central Criminal Court, with the judge urging Walsh to attend addiction and counselling services while in custody. Robbie Walsh pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
2019-03-25 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Bridget Haugh, mother of Karl Haugh, delivered a victim impact statement after her son was stabbed in the back by Robbie Walsh. Haugh, who had previously lost her daughter Stacey in a car crash, described the emotional toll of losing her children and the memory of her son's life. The court had earlier found Walsh, 23, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter of Karl Haugh, 25, on a unanimous verdict. Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis testified that Haugh died from a single stab wound puncturing his lung. The hearing also covered Walsh's prior convictions, his remorse, and the judge's decision to remand him in custody until sentencing on April 8. The judge expressed sympathy for the Haugh family and noted the profound loss they endured. Robbie Walsh was acquitted.
2019-02-13 · Clare
A Clare man, Robbie Walsh, 23, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing Karl "Gobbo" Haugh, 25, at Marian Estate, Kilkee, on 6 August 2017. The jury, after more than three hours, returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder and guilty of manslaughter. Judge Carmel Stewart explained that a guilty verdict requires proof beyond reasonable doubt that the accused intended to kill or cause serious harm, and that if the intention was primarily self‑defence, the killing would be manslaughter. Walsh admitted to stabbing Haugh in the back, claiming he had no intention to kill and that he had only wanted to smash a few windows. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing. The trial included testimony from Walsh's Garda interviews, witness accounts of the fight, and medical evidence that Haugh died from a single stab wound puncturing his lung and causing massive bleeding.
2019-02-12 · Clare
In the murder trial of Robbie Walsh, a 23‑year‑old Clare man, the jury was instructed by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart to consider the case from Walsh's perspective, assessing whether he believed he was under threat and whether his use of force was justified. The judge reminded jurors that a person in self‑defence may act impulsively and that excessive force would not be reasonable. Walsh, who pleaded not guilty, admitted in a garda interview that he had killed Karl "Gobbo" Haugh, a 25‑year‑old, after a confrontation at Marian Estate. He described picking up a dropped knife and stabbing Haugh in the back, which caused a fatal lung puncture. The jury was sent home for the night and was to resume deliberations the following day. The trial is ongoing.
2019-02-11 · Clare
In a murder case heard at the Central Criminal Court, Robbie Walsh, aged 23, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Karl 'Gobble' Haugh, aged 25, who died after being stabbed on August 6, 2017, at the Marian Estate in Kilkee. The prosecution, led by Patrick Gageby SC, argued that the Walsh men, including Robbie's cousins Mitchell and Clinton, had intended to vandalise Haugh's car and that the stabbing was not justified. They cited evidence of a prior altercation, video of Robbie claiming he was dragged and then stabbed Haugh in self‑defence, and witness statements suggesting a hostile environment. The defence, represented by Brendan Grehan SC, contended that Robbie was not an aggressor but was pulled into the confrontation, acting in a life‑or‑death situation. The jury was instructed on the case by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart, with the trial to resume the following day.
2019-02-08 · Clare
Robbie Walsh, aged 23, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Karl 'Gobble' Haugh, aged 25, in Kilkee on 6 August 2017. In his fourth Garda interview, Walsh admitted killing Haugh after a confrontation that began with vandalising Haugh's car. He described using a metal bar to smash the car's windows, then being grabbed by Haugh, dropping the bar but retaining a knife, and stabbing Haugh in the back. Walsh claimed he had no intention to kill and that the incident escalated unexpectedly. He also recounted that his house was attacked hours later and that he had sent a Facebook message to a friend saying Haugh had been stabbed in the lung. The case is before Ms Justice Carmel Stewart with a jury of seven men and four women. The trial is ongoing.
2019-02-07 · Clare
In a 2019 trial, 23‑year‑old Robbie Walsh of Kilrush, Co. Clare, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 25‑year‑old Karl Haugh in Kilkee. The Central Criminal Court heard that the alleged killing followed a confrontation at Haugh's house after a phone argument. Gardaí reported that Walsh and his cousins had vandalised a Volkswagen Passat, then went to Haugh's house to buy cocaine. Walsh claimed Haugh had a knife, was attacked, and that he stabbed Haugh in the back after Haugh dropped the knife. Walsh told the garda he had no intention to kill and that he had not brought a knife. He later surrendered after seeing a Facebook post about Haugh's death. The trial was set to continue before Justice Marie Baker and a jury.
2019-02-06 · Clare
In a murder trial in Kilkee, Kilkee, County Clare, Robbie Walsh, aged 23, pleaded not guilty to the killing of Karl Haugh, aged 25, on 6 August 2017. Witness Sam Lucey, Haugh's cousin, testified that he and Haugh confronted Walsh and two cousins near Haugh's house after a heated phone argument. Lucey claimed he had taken a golf club each and a knife from his kitchen, which fell out of his pocket when a Walsh approached with a metal bar. He denied that Haugh had a knife or that the knife came from the same set of knives seized by Gardaí. Under cross‑examination, Lucey admitted the fatal knife was from his kitchen and that he did not know who stabbed Haugh. Conor Murphy, a member of the group, said he saw the Walshs approaching "roaring and shouting" and that he did not see Walsh with a knife.
2019-02-05 · Limerick
During the murder trial of Robbie Walsh, a 23‑year‑old, the court heard that Karl Haugh, 25, had been admitted to Limerick University Hospital with a chest stab wound and was initially stable, sitting up and reassuring his family that he would be fine. An "unexpected chain of events" led to his condition deteriorating; he became unstable, required surgery, and was pronounced dead at 5.20 am after about an hour of resuscitation. The surgeon explained that Haugh had a leak of air into his left chest cavity and was in shock; a blood clot may have formed, causing a sudden bleed that could not be controlled. Witnesses described a brief fight at the Walsh estate, during which Haugh was stabbed, and the accused's cousins were present. The trial continues before Justice Carmel Stewart and a jury. Robbie Walsh pleaded not guilty. Karl Haugh pleaded not guilty.
2019-02-04 · Clare
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 28‑year‑old Robbie Walsh of Island View, Kilrush, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 25‑year‑old Karl Haugh, nicknamed Gobble, who was killed on 6 August 2017 at the Marian Estate in Kilkee. Prosecutor Patrick Gageby SC presented a narrative that on the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday, Walsh and his cousins Mitchell and Clinton were socialising in Kilkee. Phone calls recorded between the cousins and Haugh suggested a hostile encounter. Gageby alleged that after a brief altercation involving a vandalised Passat, Walsh stabbed Haugh in the back with a knife, causing a single penetrating wound that sliced a rib and lung, leading to Haugh's death at University Hospital Limerick. Walsh was arrested the next day, freely admitted the stabbing and expressed remorse. The trial, before Justice Carmel Stewart, continues with a jury of five women and seven men.
2017-12-20 · Clare
In a High Court hearing on 20 December 2017, Clare County Council sought an injunction against Helen and Bernard McDonagh, members of the Irish Traveller Community, who had moved their caravans onto a site on Ashline, Kilrush Road in Ennis. The council claimed the site, earmarked for 40 new social housing units, was a health and safety hazard for the McDonaghs, citing lack of running water and sanitation. The council argued it had no traveller‑specific accommodation to offer and that the site had previously been used for Traveller accommodation but had been vacant after a suspected arson attack. The McDonaghs' lawyer, Niall Buckley, requested time to prepare a sworn statement and noted the council had not terminated a tenancy agreement with one of the McDonaghs. The council had offered the family a private rented four‑bedroom house in Ennis, which the McDonaghs refused, and said it was prepared to offer one of the new social housing units.
2017-12-18 · Clare
A 22‑year‑old Clare man, Robbie Walsh of Island View, Kilrush, is charged with murdering 25‑year‑old Karl Haugh at the Marian Estate in Kilkee on 6 August. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy has set the trial for 22 October 2018 before a Central Criminal Court jury.
2016-12-19 · Clare
In a High Court case filed on 19 December 2016, David Mongans, his wife Margaret Lisa Mongans, and their four children—members of the Irish Travelling Community—seek to compel Clare County Council to provide suitable accommodation. The family's former home at Knockaneen was destroyed by fire in 2015, leaving them homeless. Since then they have lived in various temporary locations, including a shed and a caravan on Kilrush Road in Ennis, where they currently reside. The Mongans argue that their present caravan is unsuitable, especially for their young children who have significant health issues, and that the council's failure to provide proper housing breaches their constitutional rights and the Traveller Accommodation Acts. The application was granted ex‑parte by Mr Justice Richard Humphreys, with the case scheduled for a hearing in January.
2015-01-19 · Waterford
Con Desmond, a former priest and school principal aged 79, was convicted of 13 counts of indecent assault on a boy at St Stephen's De La Salle National School in Waterford between 1978 and June 1980. He pleaded not guilty but a jury found him guilty and Judge Donagh McDonagh sentenced him to two years' imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently, on 19 February 2013. Desmond appealed on grounds of delay and conflicting evidence, but the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal. The court noted the first incident occurred in January 1978 when the boy, aged eight, was wet from cycling to school and was taken to Desmond's office by Brother Aengus. Desmond sexually abused the boy then, and the victim reported similar abuse on subsequent Saturdays. The appeal was dismissed after the court considered the evidence, the delay, and the absence of Brother Aengus, who had died years earlier.
2014-06-30 · Clare
Kevin Jarlath Mitchell, 55, a former senior official at ACC Bank in Kilrush, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to ten counts of theft, obtaining cash and a cheque under false pretenses, and falsifying a DIRT compliance certificate between January 1993 and February 2012. He stole €197,000 from pensioner John Patrick Ryan, who was led to believe his money was in a high‑interest account, and €250,000 from long‑term friends Patrick and Susan Flanagan. ACC Bank reimbursed Ryan and the Flanagans, and Mitchell surrendered his entire pension fund, valued at €600,000, as restitution. On appeal, the court found the offences very serious and, after considering Mitchell's restitution and lack of danger of reoffending, suspended the last two years of his sentence on the condition of good behaviour and keeping the peace.
2014-06-24 · Kildare
Three men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of a twenty-year-old man in County Kildare in April 2013. James Seery, Quentin Monaghan, and Darren Wynne appeared before the Central Criminal Court charged with the killing of Jamie Lindsay at Coney Green, Coneyboro, Athy. Wynne also faces a charge of possession of a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life, though he has pleaded guilty to possession of a shotgun in suspicious circumstances on the same date. Seery and Monaghan have pleaded not guilty to further counts of weapons possession. During the trial, a witness testified that she observed one of the accused discharge a firearm at close range. She described the events leading to the shooting and stated that the accused subsequently disposed of the weapon and clothing. The trial continues before a jury at the Central Criminal Court with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan presiding.