This article is from page 18 of the 2009-04-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
THE men charged last week in con- nection with a feud in Ennis deny any involvement in the incident, with one of them telling a court, “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
Charles Foley, solicitor for the six McDonagh brothers, said his clients were not the instigators of the inci- elem
Jason McDonagh, a father-of-three, told the court he was not involved in a feud. He said he has two sick chil- dren. His wife Anne Marie said, “For Jason, it was the wrong place at the wrong time. He has been dragged into this unnecessarily.”
Edward ‘Ned’ McDonagh told the court, “These people came down uninvited. I never retaliated since
March 28. All that’s been made is al- legations. Whatever had to be done there was defence. We were defend- ing ourselves. There was young kids there.”
Asked why people from Limerick were in his home in March, he said, “We know them from horse fairs. I don’t know them individually.” He said he knew nothing about petrol bombs that were found by gardai at the house.
Michael McDonagh denied any involvement in the incidents. “I’m a lover, not a fighter,’ he proclaimed. However, Inspector Tom Kennedy put it to him that his “flippant atti- tude” in the witness box was an indi- cation of his “entire attitude for this court and for law and order the Su- perintendent fears is going to break
down.” The accused replied, “I’m not a violent person.” Mr Foley said the “flippant” remark was made by his client under pressure.
It was put to Gerard McDonagh that he was hiding in the hot press when gardai went to arrest him. He replied, “I was in the hotpress look- ing for clothes.” Inspector Kennedy said he did not want the court turned into a circus.
The fifth accused, David McDon- agh said, “This is not my feud.”
Joseph McDonagh, who is accused of damaging a car last week, told the court, “We are being victimised.”
He said he has not been involved in any part of the feud. “I have in- tervened in rows, to try and keep the peace in the town,’ he added.
Mr Foley said if granted bail, the
accused men would undertake to stay out of trouble. “This incident occurred effectively on their own doorstep. They were in their moth- er’s house at the time,” he said.
However, Inspector Kennedy said this bail application was _ unprec- edented in terms of the concerns outlined by the State. Relating to the alleged assault, he said, “It’s by any standards a grave assault. One would wonder how this man survived it.”
He said there was a huge risk that someone would be very seriously injured “if not left dead” due to the feud. “There is very good reason why the Supt is so concerned about what’s gone on and what’s likely to go on if these people are admitted to bail,” he said.
Judge Leo Malone refused bail for
Edward ‘Ned’, Michael and Gerard McDonagh. He granted bail for Ja- son and David McDonagh, on strin- gent conditions. He said the reason he was granting bail to Jason was be- cause he has disabled children. The bail conditions include that they re- main away from a number of people and addresses in Ennis; sign on at the garda station and abide by a curfew.
Joseph McDonagh was also grant- ed bail, with stringent conditions at- Ne tere b
Bail, totalling €13,000 (between own and independent sureties), was set for the three men who were grant- ed bail.
“If there is any breach of the bail conditions, bail will be revoked and they won’t get bail again,” said the judge.