Court archive
2026-03-09 · Mayo
Liam O'Leary pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of John Casserly at an apartment in a Fr Peter McVerry Trust housing unit in Ballina. Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore a jury for a trial expected to last up to three weeks.
2026-01-26 · Dublin
A man from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for a sustained campaign of domestic violence against his former partner spanning seven years. Mark White, aged 54, pleaded guilty to six counts of assault causing harm, one count of threatening to kill and one count of sexual assault at their family home between 2010 and 2017. The court heard White subjected his partner to beatings, including an attack when she was 24 weeks pregnant, broke bones in her face and drove a vehicle towards her at speed. He also held a knife to her throat and sexually assaulted her. Some incidents occurred in front of their two children. White left the jurisdiction before gardai could interview him in 2019 and was subsequently arrested at Dublin Airport in November 2024 following a European Arrest Warrant. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a headline sentence of eleven years, reduced to nine years and six months, with the final eighteen months suspended.
2025-11-11 · Galway
A farmer from Dunmore, County Galway, has obtained High Court permission to challenge the residential zoning of his lands under the Residential Zoned Land Tax. Michael Knightly is seeking to quash the zoning decision imposed by Galway County Council and is pursuing proceedings against the Council, the Revenue Commissioners, Ireland, and the Attorney General. Mr Knightly contends that the zoning decision failed to consider reasonable matters, constituted disproportionate interference, and breached fair procedures, EU directives, climate policy, and Constitutional justice. He submits that the tax imposed as a result could necessitate the sale of his lands, interfering with his livelihood. Mr Knightly has actively farmed the land for two decades and receives agricultural payments and participates in environmental protection schemes. Galway County Council stated the lands occupy a strategic location suitable for immediate development to support housing needs and compact urban growth. The Council noted that rezoning to agriculture would conflict with its development plan. Mr Knightly's legal team, instructed by Ballyhaunis-based solicitors, argue the decision conflicts with EU farm sustainability regulations and climate obligations.
2025-10-13 · Mayo
An intensive care nurse at Mayo General Hospital has received a fully suspended sentence at Castlebar Circuit Court for forging prescriptions to obtain painkillers. Sinéad Donohoe, aged 42, of Scrigg, Ballyhaunis, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft and four counts of forgery, representing 112 charges overall. Between September 2019 and February 2021, she stole three prescription pads and used forged prescriptions across pharmacies in Ballyhaunis, Ballaghdereen, Claremorris, Castlebar, Castlerea, Knock, and Kiltimagh to obtain Solpadol. Judge Eoin Garavan imposed a headline sentence of two years, suspended in full for 16 months, citing mitigating factors including her low reconviction risk and positive employment history. The judge noted Donohoe's struggle with endometriosis and workplace stress during the Covid-19 pandemic, describing her as dealing with addiction whilst employed in challenging frontline conditions. Her nursing registration has been suspended and she is currently not working. She has no previous convictions and is a married mother of two.
2023-03-24 · Mayo
John Tighe will remain in prison serving a life sentence following the dismissal of his appeal against conviction for the murder of his infant son. Tighe, from Lavallyroe in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court in March 2018 of murdering six-and-a-half-month-old Joshua in June 2013. The child died from asphyxiation caused by a wad of tissue lodged in his throat. The Court of Appeal rejected Tighe's challenge to the trial judge's decision to admit extracts from a postmortem report prepared by a pathologist who was unavailable to attend trial for cross-examination. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy ruled that the report constituted a factual record within proper legal bounds and that no unfairness resulted from its admission, particularly as expert evidence based on those findings was subject to cross-examination before the jury. John Tighe pleaded not guilty.
2023-03-20 · Mayo
Matusz Batiuk, a 33-year-old man formerly residing in Carrabeg Estate, Swinford, Co Mayo, entered a not guilty plea at the Central Criminal Court on 20 March 2023 to the charge of murdering Michael McDonagh, aged 24. The alleged murder occurred at the housing estate in Swinford on 16 November 2020. Justice Mary Ellen Ring empanelled a jury of nine men and three women to hear the trial, which commenced that afternoon and was anticipated to conclude within two weeks. The court was informed that the majority of witnesses in the case originate from the Mayo region, with the deceased having connections to the Ballyhaunis and Knock areas. The accused has resided in Ireland since approximately 2006 or 2007.
2022-12-16 · Mayo
A man serving a mandatory life sentence for the murder of his infant son has appealed his conviction at the Court of Appeal, challenging the admissibility of postmortem evidence presented during his trial. John Tighe of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo was convicted in March 2018 of murdering his six-and-a-half-month-old son in June 2013. The defence argues the trial judge erred in admitting extracts from a postmortem report prepared by the former Deputy State Pathologist, who was unavailable to attend trial and be cross-examined. Instead, evidence was presented through an alternative pathologist via video link. The defence contends this breached fair trial principles by preventing meaningful challenge to the original findings. The State's counsel argued the subsequent expert was called based on independent medical recommendations and provided his own assessment of the evidence. The three-judge court reserved judgment. John Tighe pleaded not guilty.
2019-10-21 · Mayo
A 27-year-old man from Letterkenny, County Donegal, has had his suspended sentence for violent disorder doubled by the Court of Appeal. Johnny McDonagh was convicted in Castlebar Circuit Court following a trial relating to an incident at his grandfather's funeral in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo on 16 June 2016. The court heard he had been sentenced to three years suspended in February 2019, but the trial judge had been mistaken about the sentence imposed on a co-accused. The Court of Appeal found this error had resulted in a manifestly inadequate sentence. The court quashed the original three-year suspended sentence and imposed a new six-year sentence, suspended for five years. The president of the Court of Appeal remarked that McDonagh now has a substantial suspended sentence and must avoid further trouble.
2018-06-18 · Dublin
A 25-year-old asylum seeker has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for rape following his guilty plea at Dublin Central Criminal Court. The man pleaded guilty to raping his former girlfriend at a location in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo on 10 January 2016. Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy acknowledged the severe impact on the victim and her resilience. The court heard that during an incident at a house party, the accused locked the woman in a bathroom, ignored her refusals of consent, and used force against her. The man, an African national who arrived in Ireland in 2012, had his asylum application rejected and remains in direct provision accommodation. The judge noted the defendant's guilty plea, difficult childhood circumstances, and absence of prior criminal behaviour in Ireland, whilst considering the gravity of the offence. The victim disclosed in her impact statement that she had experienced suicidal ideation and required psychiatric medication following the attack.
2018-05-10 · Mayo
A man from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has had his five-year prison sentence reduced to twelve months following a successful appeal against his original sentence. Thomas Folliard was convicted at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court of sexually exploiting a child in January 2016 after approaching a thirteen-year-old boy on a street in a Mayo town and offering him fifty euros for sex. The boy refused and reported the incident to his mother, who contacted gardaí. The Court of Appeal upheld his conviction, finding the trial satisfactory and the verdict sound. CCTV footage from a shopping centre and public building proved significant in establishing Folliard's presence and movements. However, the three-judge court deemed the offence fell at the lower end of the sentencing spectrum, noting the contact was brief, conducted in daylight on a busy street, and limited to verbal propositions. Folliard's previously unblemished character and community involvement influenced the sentencing decision. Thomas Folliard pleaded not guilty.
2018-03-23 · Mayo
A man from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has been sentenced to life imprisonment following his conviction for the murder of his infant son. John Tighe, aged 40, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court of murdering six-and-a-half-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013 at his home in Lavallyroe. The jury deliberated for seven hours and 32 minutes before returning their verdict. Tighe had pleaded not guilty and maintained the death was accidental. Prosecution evidence, including expert testimony from pathologists and paediatricians, established that the child could not have independently formed or swallowed a wad of tissue found obstructing his airway. The child's mother delivered an impact statement describing the trauma she has endured since her son's death. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence as prescribed by law.
2018-03-23 · Mayo
At the Central Criminal Court, the jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering his infant son has been permitted to return a majority verdict. John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, pleads not guilty to the murder of his six-and-a-half-month-old son, Joshua Sussbier Tighe, who died at the family home on 1 June 2013. After six hours and 38 minutes of deliberation, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy instructed the nine women and three men that ten jurors need agree on their verdict. The judge outlined three possible verdicts: guilty of murder, not guilty, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. The prosecution contends the child choked on tissue deliberately placed in his throat. The accused maintains he discovered the baby choking on tissue after returning from the toilet while changing his nappy. The judge explained the legal thresholds for each verdict to the jury.
2018-03-22 · Mayo
A jury at the Central Criminal Court is to resume deliberations on Friday in the trial of John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. Mr Tighe has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his infant son on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges that the child choked on tissue deliberately placed in his throat, while the defence maintains the accused discovered the child choking after stepping away briefly. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy instructed the jury that three verdicts are available: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. The jury must reach a unanimous decision and has already deliberated for four hours and 25 minutes.
2018-03-21 · Mayo
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard closing arguments in the trial of a man accused of murdering his infant son in Co Mayo. John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his six-and-a-half-month-old son on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges the child choked on tissue deliberately placed in his throat. The defence maintained the boy choked on tissue he reached while unattended during nappy changing. Defence counsel Mícheál P O'Higgins SC stressed to jurors they must be certain of guilt beyond reasonable doubt and cannot convict on suspicion. He argued inconsistencies in the accused's account were inevitable given the distressed circumstances and questioned whether expert evidence supported an innocent explanation. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy outlined three possible verdicts: guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. The jury will begin deliberations following the judge's charge completion tomorrow.
2018-03-21 · Mayo
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy has begun his charge to the jury in the trial of a Ballyhaunis man accused of murdering his infant son. John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of six-and-a-half-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on 1 June 2013. The judge instructed the jury that they may return an alternative verdict of manslaughter if they are satisfied the child was unlawfully killed but are not convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Tighe intended to kill or cause serious injury. The prosecution alleges the infant choked on tissue deliberately placed in his throat. Mr Tighe maintains he was changing the child's nappy when the choking occurred. The judge's charge to the jury continues this afternoon.
2018-03-20 · Mayo
A father accused of murdering his six-and-a-half-month-old son at his home in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, faces closing arguments at the Central Criminal Court. John Tighe, aged 40, has pleaded not guilty to the charge relating to an incident on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges the infant died after a tissue wad was placed in his throat, while the defence maintains the death was accidental. During closing speeches, the prosecution highlighted alleged inconsistencies in the accused's successive accounts to gardaí and emergency services regarding how the child came to choke, the timeline of events, and his attempts at intervention. The defence countered that such variations are natural given the traumatic circumstances, and emphasised the accused's immediate call for emergency assistance and his previously unblemished character. Medical evidence from both prosecution and defence paediatricians was contested regarding whether the child could have self-ingested the obstruction. The jury will hear the completion of closing arguments before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
2018-03-16 · Mayo
John Tighe, 40, of Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of his six-month-old son, Joshua Sussbier Tighe. The prosecution alleges that on June 1, 2013, Tighe murdered the infant by placing a wad of tissue paper in the child's throat. Tighe maintains he was changing the baby's nappy and left the child to use the toilet, returning to find the infant choking. He stated he did not see the baby put the tissue in its mouth and suggested it must have been pushed further down by his attempts to remove it. During cross-examination, Detective Garda Ken Waldron testified that Tighe and the deceased's mother, Natasha Sussbier, had a second child, a baby girl, in October 2015, though they are no longer together. The jury heard transcripts of Tighe's interviews with gardai, in which he expressed love for his son and denied ever trying to hurt him. He explained that he had a medical condition causing severe pain during urination, which prompted him to leave the baby briefly. He also addressed the presence of blood on the baby's clothes, his pyjamas, and the home, attributing it to his efforts to clear the obstruction. The pathologist removed an egg-shaped tissue wad measuring 5.5cm by 3.5cm by 2.5cm from the infant's throat. The prosecution has completed its evidence, and the trial will continue on Tuesday before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
2018-03-16 · Mayo
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard interview transcripts involving a man accused of murdering his infant son. John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering six-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on 1 June 2013. The prosecution, represented by Patrick Reynolds BL, presented transcripts of interviews conducted with the accused by gardaí both before and after his arrest. The trial is being heard before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury comprising nine women and three men. Proceedings continued on the afternoon of the hearing.
2018-03-15 · Mayo
A 40-year-old man accused of murdering his six-month-old son told gardai "I did all I could" as the child died in his arms. The Central Criminal Court jury heard statements made by John Tighe of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, during interviews at Claremorris Garda Station in 2013 and 2014. Mr Tighe has pleaded not guilty to murdering Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013. According to his account, the infant became unresponsive while being changed and appeared to be choking on a baby wipe or tissue. He called emergency services and attempted resuscitation following their instructions. A retired paediatric consultant told the court that a tissue would not naturally lodge in a young child's throat and would require deliberate force to reach that location. The trial before Justice Patrick McCarthy continues.
2018-03-14 · Mayo
A forensic pathologist has testified at the Central Criminal Court that a tear inside a six-month-old child's throat would typically result from punches, blows, or severe struggle. Dr Roger Malcolmson described as "fanciful" the defence suggestion that the infant could have caused his own death by swallowing tissue. John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of six-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe on June 1, 2013, at his home. Dr Malcolmson reviewed pathology findings and told prosecution counsel Paul Murray SC that it was not credible a six-month-old could ingest the two pieces of tissue found in the child's throat. He stated the injury was "highly suspicious" of inflicted trauma. Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mícheál P O'Higgins, Dr Malcolmson agreed the injury could have resulted from efforts to remove a blockage. Paediatrician Dr Hilary Stokes earlier testified that choking is the leading accidental cause of death in infants under one year. The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury.
2018-03-14 · Mayo
A paediatrician has testified at the Central Criminal Court that choking represents the most frequent cause of accidental death in infants under one year old. Dr Hilary Stokes was cross-examined in the trial of John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his six-month-old son Joshua Sussbier Tighe on June 1st, 2013. The prosecution alleges tissue was placed in the child's throat. During examination-in-chief, Dr Stokes told the court she did not believe the infant could have formed, chewed or swallowed the tissue later recovered by a pathologist. Defence counsel drew agreement from the witness that accidental choking remained the leading cause of death in babies under twelve months. Justice Patrick McCarthy presided over proceedings, with the trial continuing before a jury of twelve.
2018-03-13 · Mayo
A paediatrician has told the Central Criminal Court that a six-month-old infant could not have formed or swallowed the wad of tissue found in his throat. Dr Hilary Stokes testified during the trial of John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, who denies murdering his son Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges the tissue caused the child's death. Dr Stokes stated that infants at that developmental stage lack the manual dexterity and chewing ability required to compress tissue into such a wad, and would be unable to swallow an object of that size voluntarily. She further indicated the wad could not have become lodged as described through attempts to remove it. Earlier, a sergeant recalled that the child's mother asked the accused upon arriving at the home: "What have you done?" The trial continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury at the Central Criminal Court. John Tighe pleaded not guilty.
2018-03-08 · Mayo
John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his six-month-old son Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on 1 June 2013. The Central Criminal Court heard that forensic examination revealed tissue paper from two different boxes lodged in the infant's throat during a post-mortem. Bridget Fleming of Forensic Science Ireland told the court that the three-ply tissue matched paper from a bedroom box, while two-ply tissue matched material from a sitting room box. The prosecution alleges Mr Tighe caused the child's death by asphyxiation. The defence maintains Mr Tighe was changing the baby's nappy when the child began choking. DNA evidence showed the child's blood on Mr Tighe's clothing, which defence counsel suggested could be consistent with Mr Tighe attempting to assist his choking son. The trial continues at the Central Criminal Court.
2018-03-08 · Mayo
A forensic scientist has told the Central Criminal Court that blood found on pyjama bottoms belonging to a man accused of murder came from his six-month-old son. John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo has pleaded not guilty to murdering Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on 1 June 2013. The trial heard that DNA analysis of samples from the pyjamas matched the infant's blood profile. Further matching samples were recovered from a babygrow, sitting room floor and wall. The prosecution alleges Mr Tighe caused his son's death by asphyxiation. The defence suggested the presence of blood on the pyjamas could be explained by Mr Tighe holding the baby while attempting to assist him. The trial, before Justice Patrick McCarthy and jury, continues at the Central Criminal Court.
2018-03-07 · Mayo
A father accused of murdering his infant son urged a doctor to intervene at the scene, the Central Criminal Court heard on the second day of trial. John Tighe, aged 40, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his six-month-old son on 1 June 2013. Dr Diarmuid Murray told the court he arrived at the home shortly after 1pm and immediately formed the view the child was deceased. The doctor identified a tissue lodged in the baby's throat, positioned above the larynx in a manner that would cause asphyxiation. During cross-examination, Dr Murray confirmed the accused was distressed and repeatedly urged him to take action, though nothing could be done. Emergency call handlers also gave evidence, with one nurse expressing doubt that the accused was following her instructions to dislodge the obstruction. The trial, before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of nine women and three men, continues.
2018-03-06 · Mayo
A new jury of three men and nine women has been sworn in at the Central Criminal Court to hear the trial of John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. Mr Tighe pleads not guilty to the murder of his infant son Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on June 1, 2013. The original jury was discharged on the fourth day of the trial due to weather-related delays and a juror's prior commitment. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy cautioned the new panel to rely solely on courtroom evidence. The prosecution alleges the child died from asphyxiation caused by tissue lodged in his throat. Medical experts will testify that a six-and-a-half-month-old could not have formed or swallowed such material independently. The defence maintains the death was accidental, with Mr Tighe claiming the child choked on a baby wipe. The trial continues.
2018-03-05 · Mayo
A nurse who advised a father during an emergency call about his choking infant was uncertain whether her instructions were being followed, the Central Criminal Court heard today. Aine Watts, who worked with WestDoc medical service, took a call in 2013 from John Tighe of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, after his baby began choking on tissue. Ms Watts told the court she instructed Mr Tighe to perform chest compressions and attempt to dislodge the obstruction, but was unsure if her guidance was being adhered to. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged prioritising airway clearance over CPR given the child's unresponsiveness. Mr Tighe, aged 40, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his son Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges the tissue was deliberately placed in the child's throat; the defence maintains the six-and-a-half-month-old swallowed it independently. The trial before Justice Patrick McCarthy continues tomorrow.
2018-02-27 · Mayo
Thomas Folliard, aged 63, of Church Road, Aughamore, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has moved to appeal his conviction for sexual exploitation of a child at the Court of Appeal. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment by Judge Rory McCabe in October 2017 following his conviction at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court. The charge related to an alleged incident in January 2016 in which Folliard allegedly offered €50 to a 13-year-old boy for sex. His legal representatives argue the case exhibits characteristics of a miscarriage of justice, citing the gardaí's failure to conduct a formal identification parade and the manner in which CCTV footage was presented to the complainant. Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions maintained the evidence was compelling and the complainant's account consistent throughout proceedings. The three-judge panel, chaired by Mr Justice George Birmingham, reserved judgment. Thomas Folliard pleaded not guilty.
2018-02-27 · Mayo
At the Central Criminal Court, a murder trial commenced involving John Tighe, aged 40, from Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo. Mr Tighe has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering his son, Joshua Sussbier Tighe, who died on June 1, 2013, at the family home. The prosecution alleges the infant, then six and a half months old, died from asphyxiation after tissue was placed in his throat. The defence contends the death was accidental, with Mr Tighe claiming the child grabbed and swallowed tissue whilst he was in the bathroom. Prosecution counsel told the jury that a baby of Joshua's age would be incapable of forming or swallowing such a bolus, suggesting Mr Tighe was the only person who could be responsible. A post-mortem examination identified two pieces of tissue in the throat, including an egg-shaped wad measuring five centimetres by three and a half centimetres. Expert evidence regarding the infant's developmental capabilities is expected during the trial, which continues before Justice Patrick McCarthy.
2018-02-26 · Mayo
A 40-year-old man from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo has entered a not guilty plea to the charge of murdering his infant son at the Central Criminal Court. John Tighe of Lavallyroe was arraigned on the allegation that he killed his son on 1 June 2013 at his home. Justice Patrick McCarthy informed the jury, comprising eight men and four women, that proceedings would commence the following day due to the judge's involvement in another trial. The case is anticipated to run for approximately two weeks.
2017-12-14 · Mayo
James Clarke, aged 62, formerly of Devlis Cottage in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has had his sentence for child pornography offences increased by eighteen months at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Clarke was originally sentenced in 2013 to ten years imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, after admitting possession and distribution of child pornography. Further analysis of images and videos recovered during the same investigation, delayed due to a backlog at the Garda Cyber Crime Bureau, led to additional charges. Clarke pleaded guilty to possessing 785 images on devices at his Mayo address in 2012 and 1009 images plus three videos found at a former Drogheda address in 2010. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a consecutive three-and-a-half-year sentence with two years suspended, citing the need to punish additional wrongdoing while acknowledging Clarke's cooperation, prison conduct, and the systemic delay. Two years probation supervision was ordered.
2016-01-20 · Galway
A widow from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, has settled her High Court damages action for €500,000 following the death of her husband at Galway Sportsgrounds. Dolores Byrne sued her late husband Declan's employer, CDM Steel Ltd, and the Connacht and Irish Rugby Football Unions after he was fatally injured on the site in April 2008. Mr Byrne, a steel fabricator, died when a steel girder fell and struck him while he was realigning it as part of gym construction works. Mrs Byrne had alleged the defendants failed to provide a safe workplace and adequate safety equipment. The defendants denied liability, with CDM Steel claiming Mr Byrne's own negligence caused the accident. Mr Justice Kevin Cross approved the settlement at the High Court on Wednesday, describing it as a very good outcome. The case against another defendant, Portant Developments Ltd, has been struck out.