Video of siblings’ dispute as bad as Flatley’s film, court told

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) Flatley’s ‘Blackbird’.”

In response, Anthony Griffin said: “I haven’t seen it,” and in reply, Mr Hassett said “I have read the reviews.”

In the case, Ciaran Griffin (47) of Inis Orga, Sixmilebridge, was contesting a charge that he produced a hammer in the course of a dispute outside the family home at Ayle, Feakle, Co. Clare, on June 10 2021.

Ruth Griffin and Anthony Griffin gave evidence in the case against their brother and Judge Mary Larkin dismissed the case against Ciaran Griffin.

When Anthony Griffin and Ruth Griffin arrived at the house at around 7pm and after words were exchanged between Anthony Griffin and Ciaran Griffin, Ciaran Griffin hit a steel trailer he was working on with a hammer.

Judge Larkin said, “I don’t think Ciaran Griffin intended to cause serious injury – I don’t think he intended any injury.”

Judge Larkin said that Ciaran Griffin “was not very helpful in roaring and shouting” and hitting his hammer off the trailer.

Judge Larkin said, “I think he was exhibiting his dis-satisfaction, his distaste, dislike for his siblings about this whole matter just as they were showing their dislike and distaste about their other siblings in a row about land and who is minding Mammy and who is minding Daddy.”

Judge Larkin said, “It is very sad but I am not going to allow this to create a situation where people who are not being reasonable and rational allow one person to be convicted of an offence under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act so I am dismissing the case.”

In evidence Anthony Griffin said that when he arrived into the yard, he heard his brother Ciaran say, “All the big men are here this evening. The big knacker and the big jeep.”

Anthony Griffin got out of his jeep and told Ciaran “who the f*** do you think you are calling a knacker? and went around his jeep towards Ciaran.

The footage hears Ruth Griffin say, “Get back -I am recording you. This isn’t your property.”

Asked by Judge Larkin, “why did you hop out of your jeep and tear around to face him?,” Anthony Griffin replied, “I was upset”, and Judge Larkin said, “I have heard enough.”

Mr Hassett said, “This is all about land and this is all about property.”

One of six brothers out of eight adult children, Anthony told the court that he is the youngest in the family.

Mr Hassett said that the Griffin parents had separated late in life and Mr Griffin had died from Covid-19 a couple of months after this incident and “a mess” had been left in terms of land.

Mr Hassett put it to Anthony Griffin that he was on the same side as his sister, Ruth and opposite sides to Ciaran in relation to the dispute “and lawyers are involved in how things will play out in terms of land and the house”.

In response, Anthony Griffin said, “I wouldn’t say I am on the side of anyone… I don’t care who gets lands or anything like that – my main concern is the safety of my mother in her home.”

Mr Hassett said, “Ciaran was more in line with your dad when he was alive and you were more aligned with your mother?” and in reply Anthony Griffin replied, “At the later stages of my father’s life.”

In her evidence, Ruth Griffin said that she has not spoken to Ciaran in years “because he threatened to shoot me”.

Asked by Mr Hassett was Ciaran Griffin ever prosecuted for that, Ruth Griffin replied, “No – because I didn’t do anything about it at the time. Sadly, I wish I had.”

Mr Hassett said that Ruth Griffin’s statement to Gardai and the phone camera footage “aren’t even first cousins”.

In response, Ruth Griffin stated that the footage only caught the second swing and not the first one. Mr Hassett said that Ciaran Griffin didn’t swing his hammer twice and never swung at Anthony Griffin.