Historian Donal Fallon fined over violent disorder after Dublin march

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

Historian Donal Fallon was fined €500 over his role in a confrontation at a Dublin pub following an anti-racism march. The proceedings were reported on 30 April 2021.

Fallon pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder at the Living Room on Findlater Street on 6 February 2016.

Judge Martin Nolan imposed the fine and conditions including that Fallon gather €2,000 within six months. He deferred sentence for six months and indicated that a nine-month sentence would be imposed if the conditions were not met. The judge said he would take the unusual step of imposing section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which would avoid a conviction on Fallon's record.

Sergeant Colin Davidson said CCTV appeared to show Fallon throw an item during the confrontation in the bar. He agreed that Fallon told gardaí he had no recollection of throwing anything but might have done so in the moment. Fallon said he felt his group was “under siege” and believed the other group was shouting Nazi slogans; the CCTV had no audio.

Judge Nolan said there was no evidence Fallon struck anyone and that his involvement was not that injurious, although he contributed to the overall fracas. He noted Fallon's cooperation, admissions, guilty plea and lack of previous convictions. Defence counsel Pieter Le Vert said Fallon was conscious someone could have been hurt and had apologised.

This case may have concluded differently. The outcome has not yet been confirmed by a public source we could find.