Tag Archives: Clare District Court

A VIDEOED flashpoint in a siblings’ row over land in east Clare “was a very bad production – nearly as bad at Flatley’s Blackbird”, a court has heard. At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, solicitor Daragh Hassett made the comment referring to a film directed by and starring Michael Flatley that has received extremely poor reviews. The solicitor told the court that a yard row between his client, Ciaran Griffin and two siblings, Anthony Griffin and Ruth Griffin “was a complete set-up”. Both Ruth Griffin and Anthony Griffin in evidence stated that this wasn’t the case. Ruth Griffin videoed the row on a mobile phone and the footage was played to the court as part of the State prosecution against her brother, Ciaran Griffin. Mr Hassett said that this was a case of ‘Lights, Camera, Action’. While cross examining Anthony Griffin on his evidence, Mr Hassett said: “This was a very bad production – nearly as bad as (Michael) …

A MAN accused of assaulting his 74-year-old neighbour in an alleged unprovoked attack in Barefield last week has been granted bail. At Ennis district court this Wednesday, September 7, Ciaran Cullinan (32) was granted bail on conditions including that he reside at an address outside Clare. Cullinan, with an address at Curraderra, Barefield, appeared in court via video link from Limerick Prison where he has been on remand since his first court appearance on charges relating to alleged incidents at Curraderra, Barefield on September 3. After hearing this Wednesday’s bail application, Judge Patricia Cronin granted Cullinan bail subject to what she said are “serious conditions”. Cullinan was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear again in court on September 21. Cullinan’s application for bail was opposed by the State. In evidence, Garda Conor Langan said gardaí responded to a report of an alleged assault on a 74-year-old man in Barefield on the afternoon of September 3. The court …

A WOMAN who stole from and desecrated graves in County Clare “hasn’t shown one ounce of empathy for the consequences of her behaviour”. At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis this Tuesday, Judge Mary Larkin made her comment about Mairead O’Sullivan (42) who has entered 18 separate guilty pleas to charges of stealing goods with a combined value of €597.50 from graves at cemeteries at Drumcliffe and Templemaley outside Ennis and also from Tulla cemetery. There are 14 victims in the case as Ms O’Sullivan of Fergus View, Cappahard, Tulla Road, Ennis, stole from the same graves on a number of occasions. At the same court in May, mother, Kirsty Donnellan described as “pure evil” the actions of Ms O’Sullivan who stole from and desecrated her daughter’s grave on three separate occasions. Ms Donnellan told the court that she was “in a state of shock, anger and despair” when finding that her daughter, Scarlett’s grave had been desecrated in May …

A BIRTHDAY party organised by an Ennis granny for her one-year-old grandson “had got out of control” by the time Gardai called to the family home close to midnight, a court has heard. At Ennis District Court,  Inspector David Finnerty told Judge Alec Gabbett that around 40 people were in attendance at Kathleen McDonagh’s (49) home at 21 Childers Road, Ennis at 11.50pm on February 15 last year when Gardai called. The country was under Covid-19 Level 5 lockdown at the time when a ban on the staging of house parties was one of a range of restrictions in place aimed at halting the spread of the virus. Judge Gabbett said to solicitor for Ms McDonagh, Tara Godfrey “did the 40 people get Covid-19 is the question?” In response, Ms Godfrey said: “I have no idea on that Judge and I haven’t any information about any difficulty or outbreak arising out of this gathering at all.” Ms Godfrey pointed to a …

THE partner of Clare independent TD, Violet Anne Wynne has lost most of his teeth from severe epileptic seizures in the past. That is according to solicitor for John Montaine (40), Patrick Moylan who told a court that Mr Montaine has been seizure free for the past six years arising from him taking a cannabis derivative, THC oil. At Kilrush District Court, Judge Mary Larkin imposed a fine of €100 after Mr Montaine pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of cannabis at the family home at Pella Road, Kilrush, on February 11 last year. Judge Larkin also imposed a third driving ban on Mr Montaine after his third conviction for driving with no insurance. Sergeant Louis Moloney told the court that Mr Montaine has 16 previous convictions and they include two for driving with no insurance dating from June 2014 when Mr Montaine was banned from driving for two years and in 2012 when he received a one-year driving ban. …

A CHAINSAW was one of the weapons allegedly produced during a “horrible, unsavoury” incident last Sunday afternoon at an Ennis housing estate. At Ennis District Court after viewing CCTV evidence of the flashpoint at Davitt Terrace, Cloughleigh at 12.30pm last Sunday afternoon, solicitor for three accused men in the case, Daragh Hassett admitted the video “is not Bord Failte material for Ennis”. On Wednesday, Mr Hassett told the court: “It is unsavoury. It is horrible and it shouldn’t have happened but my clients say they are not guilty of the charges before the court.” Mr Hassett said that the CCTV footage produced by the State doesn’t help the State case in the charges against his clients. Mr Hassett said that the footage showed one man with an “active chainsaw” who is not one of his own clients. Objecting to bail against the three accused, Bernard McDonagh (55), Thomas McDonagh (21) and Michael McDonagh (32) all of the unofficial halting site …

A 47-year-old sales account manager punched a taxi driver and screamed that he was going to kill him during a taxi journey outside Ennis, a court has heard. The accused had also grabbed the steering wheel and attempted to crash the car, before the driver was able to regain control. At Ennis District Court, Judge Mary Larkin said that a drunken Brendan Farrell “scared the living daylights” out of Limerick taxi driver, Niall Moran (57) during the incident on a road at Clonroadmore on the outskirts of Ennis on June 23 2020. Judge Larkin imposed a suspended one-month prison term on Mr Farrell of Rowlagh Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 for the unprovoked assault on Mr Moran during the aborted Limerick to Ennistymon taxi journey. Sergeant Louis Moloney said that the assault by Mr Farrell on Mr Moran took place shortly after Mr Farrell left hospital in Limerick concerning a separate road incident with Gardai outside Clarecastle, earlier on the day …

A JUDGE has ordered the surrender of a barking dog to the local dog warden due to the continual noise disturbance on a neighbour in Ennis. At Ennis District Court, Judge Mary Larkin has directed that Ennis woman Geraldine O’Loughlin deliver her ‘German Shepherd-like’ dog to the warden. Judge Larkin made the order in response to an application by Ms O’Loughlin’s neighbour, Shane Shannon of Gort Road, Ennis under legislation concerning the control of dogs. Judge Larkin concluded that the barking dog “is interfering substantially with Mr Shannon’s life”. She made the order under a little known provision of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 where a judge can make an order requiring the elimination of a nuisance caused by the “excessive barking” of an ‘unwanted dog’. In evidence, Mr Shannon said that the “large dog has been barking for as long as I have been there and that’s 11 years”. Mr Shannon said that the dog’s barking would go …