Courts / Dublin / Report
Pair raided GAA club, tied up manager and patron on semi-final night
Summary
Two men, Paul Reilly (36) and Ray Donnelly (49), were convicted of robbery and possession of an imitation firearm after breaking into Clanna Gael GAA club in Irishtown, Dublin, on the night of the semi‑finals on 2 September 2012. They used a fake gun to threaten the bar manager, Paul Lynch, and a patron, Paul McDonald, tying them with duct tape and leaving them face‑down on the floor. The intruders ransacked the club's safe and stole €7,569, which has not been recovered. Donnelly was also found guilty of handling stolen property for attempting to sell a stolen Volkswagen Golf on DoneDeal. Both men pleaded guilty to robbery, false imprisonment and possession of an imitation firearm. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced them to five‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment; Donnelly received an additional four months for the stolen‑property charge.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pair raided GAA club, tied up manager and patron on semi-final night. Charges or matters: robbery and possession of an imitation firearm at the club on September 2, 2012; a charge of handling stolen property while on bail for the GAA club robbery. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 2, 2012 Incident
- July 24, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2016-12-20 Publication
Why: The court heard both men had former drug addictions and carried out the offence in order to pay off a drug debt. Court evidence reported by CNI
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: robbery and possession of an imitation firearm at the club on September 2, 2012; a charge of handling stolen property while on bail for the GAA club robbery (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: The court heard Reilly has 39 previous convictions while Donnelly has a "large" number of previous convictions and was given a five-year sentence for a drugs charge in 1998.
Defendant
Charges: robbery and possession of an imitation firearm at the club on September 2, 2012; a charge of handling stolen property while on bail for the GAA club robbery (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He also sentenced Donnelly to a further four months in prison after he pleaded guilty to a charge of handling stolen property while on bail for the GAA club robbery.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Saville Place
Topics
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