Diarmuid Phelan pleads not guilty to murder of Keith Conlon

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Diarmuid Phelan has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Keith Conlon. The proceedings were reported on 11 November 2024.

Mr Conlon, 36, was seriously injured in a shooting at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, on 22 February 2022. He died at Tallaght University Hospital two days later.

The State’s case was that Mr Phelan fired three shots from his revolver: two into the air and a third in Mr Conlon’s direction. In her opening speech, Roisin Lacey SC said Mr Conlon was shot in the back of the head as he turned away to leave.

In interviews with gardaí described at the trial, Mr Phelan said he had shot at a dog and that three men then emerged from bushes, shouting and making threats. He said he was terrified, believed the men were coming towards him and fired into the air to make them retreat. He denied aiming at Mr Conlon.

Gardaí told Mr Phelan that a recording on Mr Conlon’s phone contained no threat. He replied that the men had come for him up the field and had not stopped when asked. A garda also said the dog had been tied up; Mr Phelan said it was not visibly tied up to him.

The trial was continuing before Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford and a jury at the time of the report.