The Clare People Archive

A WOMAN who lived beside the McDonaghs in Bridge Court told the trial that Charlie went through the knife rack in her kitchen, some time before his death.

‘He took the first knife out but he said it wasn’t sharp enough. Then he got out another one but he didn’t take WerLmssinelos

“Then he took out another knife and put it up his sleeve,” Cara Moy- lan said.

She could not understand a lot of what the brothers said to each other, but heard Charlie calling his brother ‘Paddy Pudding’.

Patrick said he was in the hospi- tal and Charlie now owed him “ten

grand”.

Charlie asked Patrick was he home and Patrick replied, “Ill see you in two minutes.”

Ms Moylan agreed that she had told gardai, “He told me he was going to cut him (Patrick) up and he told me what he was going to do to him.”

Charlie told her to tell the other neighbours to stay off the road as there was going to be trouble.

Charlie left by the front door, tak- ing off his jacket as he went. Patrick came towards him carrying an axe and the brothers fought.

They were separated by their sis- ter and her husband but, as Charlie walked back to his house, Patrick picked up the discarded knife and ecbaue-lanevbeeF

THE brother-in-law of Charlie and Patrick McDonagh told the jury he was ashamed of the fact that he had not been able to prevent the death when he intervened in the fight.

“I risked my own life because I went into the middle of them but it was for nothing because I didn’t save him (Charlie),”’ said James O’ Loughlin.

Mr O’Loughlin said he and his wife Ann Marie tried to persuade Patrick to stay away from Bridge Court after he had received hospital treatment for injuries received in an earlier argument with Charlie.

Patrick insisted on going home to his wife and three children.

Back at home, Mr O’Loughlin said he tried to calm Patrick down, telling him everything could be sorted out with his brother in the morning.

He said that Charlie went out onto the street, naked from the waist up and waving a knife.

Mr O’Loughlin said Charlie ap- peared to be very drunk and was waving the knife around very slow- M4 He agreed that he had told gardai

Charlie was shouting, “Come out, come out Paddy Pudding” and that he had said this nickname was a “term of argument”. Patrick fetched a hatchet and went outside to his broth- er, despite attempts to stop him.

Mr O’Loughlin said there were “more thumps being thrown than us- ing the weapons”.

He said that after a few minutes he and his wife managed to disarm the two men and they were pulled apart. Mr O’ Loughlin dragged Char- lie back towards his house with the help of another man, Anthony Ward, Charlie’s wife’s brother.

Patrick had found the knife, thrown away during the fight, and ran at Strabo

He stabbed him 12 times in the stomach. Charlie died in hospital a Seem BDA CoM C-lKo)

Mr O’Loughlin said that there was some bad feeling within the McDon- agh family.

“They couldn’t believe he went so far on his brother. They were dis- gusted. You wouldn’t do that to an elephant,” he said.

A FIGHT between two brothers end- ed in one fatally stabbing the other, a jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Patrick McDonagh (27) of Bridge Court, Roslevan, Ennis, denied mur- dering his brother Charlie (30), at Bridge Court, on January 28, 2007. He also denied the alternative charge of manslaughter and a further charge of producing a knife in the course of a fight.

In his opening speech, prosecuting counsel Tom McConnell SC told the jury of seven women and five men that, after an evening of drinking, a row between the brothers developed into a “serious, almost gladiatorial fight” that led to a “fratricidal kill- Thea

After a fight involving a knife and a hatchet, Charlie McDonagh received 12 stab wounds including the fatal wound to his stomach.

Anthony Ward said he had been staying with Charlie McDonagh

while his sister, Charlie’s wife, vis- ited her mother in Galway.

They started drinking cans of Guin- ness and Red Bull at around 8.30pm. After about three cans they opened a bottle of vodka.

Mr Ward said that Charlie rang the accused to bring over a bottle of coke for a mixer.

They later went to Patrick’s house, Where they continued drinking. Patrick’s wife Donna joined them. Some time later that night, a row developed between the brothers, in

Patrick’s house.

Mr Ward said that Charlie McDon- agh had a volatile temper and had once bitten his ear. He said Charlie left to move his van and he went back to Charlie’s house and locked Watomelereye

A few minutes later Patrick arrived and started banging on the front door and shouting. Mr Ward said he was “frightened, terrified’, so when Patrick disappeared round the side of the building, he ran across the road to arelation’s house.

Patrick meanwhile started breaking the windows of Charlie’s house. The gardai and an ambulance were called and Patrick was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries.

Some time later Charlie returned and saw the damage to his house. He attacked Patrick’s car, which was parked on the street outside his Olen en

Mr Ward said a neighbour, Ms Cara Moylan, came out and brought them into her house for a cup of tea and a glass of wine.

THE sister of the two McDonagh brothers said that “one was as bad as WsTome) 0 8(o) uae

Ann Marie O’Loughlin – said Patrick was “crying like a baby” when she and her husband arrived at the hospital that night. Patrick had been treated for injuries including a split lip, broken nose and slashed ear, received during an earlier fight with Si itbab ler

She said that Patrick insisted on going home to his wife and three children.

Ned McDonagh, a third brother, said Charlie arrived at his house at about 11.30 pm that night. He seemed drunk and was very upset about the fact that Patrick had broken the win- dow of his van during the argument.

Ned tried to calm him down, tell- ing him they could sort everything out in the morning. Ned agreed with Brendan Nix, defending, that Charlie had been known to bite people when he was drinking and was in a tem- per.

He said Charlie ran off down the street and hailed a taxi. Ned followed in a van with his brother-in-law.

The taxi driver, Paul Kelleher, agreed with Mr Nix that Charlie told him he was being chased by his

brothers who intended to hurt him,

They’re after trashing my van. I’m Court, Charlie saw that Patrick had

but also agreed that Charlie had going to kill them.”

told gardai, “They’re my brothers.

When they arrived back at Bridge

smashed the front windows of his house. Gardai were at the scene.

Charlie told Mr Kelleher he would wait until they had gone and would get a Slash hook.

Ned McDonagh told the trial that he asked gardai to arrest Charlie so that no one got hurt, but they re- GUI or6 B

The trial heard that a short time af- ter Patrick returned to his home, he received a phone call from Charlie. “Charlie was offering Patrick out- side,’ Ann Marie O’Loughlin told the trial.

Despite attempts to stop him, Patrick picked up a hatchet and went out to his brother. Charlie was stand- ing bare chested in the middle of the road, holding a knife he had taken from a neighbour’s house.

Ms O’Loughlin said that the two men started to fight. She and her hus- band eventually managed to disarm them and separate them but Patrick picked up the knife from where it had been thrown and ran towards his brother.

‘He grabbed the knife, his eyes were wide open and that’s when I went into shock.”

She said her brother Charlie was a “gentleman, 100 per cent”.

PEOPLE with drug addictions, includ- ing crack cocaine, last year accounted for 63 per cent of those attending Bushy Park ‘Treatment Centre.

Those with cocaine and heroin problems are also on the rise, with 23 cocaine addicts and 19 heroin ad- dicts receiving treatment at the cen- tre last year. And the centre provided residential treatment to 27 addicts who saw cannabis as their main drug of choice.

The largest group attending the centre are those with alcohol and drug addictions, who number 54. The number of people whose only addiction was alcohol numbered 49, while those with only an illicit drug addiction was 14.

Statistics provided by the centre show that 18 people were addicted to alcohol, illegal drugs and prescrip- tion drugs.

The centre was opened in 1991 and its director, Margaret Nash, said yes- terday that it was four years before an illicit drug addict attended the centre. She said, “Now, those pre- senting with poly-drug addictions are becoming more and more com- aXe OF

‘Alcohol is the main drug of choice in Ireland by a long way. It is the gateway drug and there is a Govern-

ment recognition that this is the case and there is a realisation that this is the case.”

Now, residents whose sole addic- tion is alcohol account for less than one-third of attendants at the centre near Ennis.

In relation to heroin addicts, Ms Nash said that they tend to smoke the drug and not inject it.

Ms Nash said that there is only one treatment centre in the country that deals with the detox of heroin addicts and the next date for assessment for people waiting for that service is in August.

‘When people present with figures to say that there are so many heroin or cannabis users, that is not really factual because people will use any- thing that they can get their hands on at the time,” she said.

Ms Nash said that there is a big gap in detox facilities for drug users in Wd eLompa en KOGAN (orci

“You are left with only home detox where a GP gives medication and you administer it yourself. It 1s quite tricky and very scary for families to see them go through detox,” she Said.

Heroin addicts seeking detox in a residential setting have to go through psychiatric services and _ declare themselves suicidal to gain admis- sion.

A DISTRICT Court judge has spo- ken out against at a challenge taken in relation to the alcolyser.

A case 1s being stated in relation to the validity of the alcohol-testing ap- paratus and is due to come before the High Court in the coming months.

The case relates to the availabil- ity of source codes on the machines

UEtexem

In the interim, dozens of drink- driving cases are being adjourned in the district court.

At Ennis District Court on Friday, Judge Tim Lucey was asked to ad- journ a drink-driving case, pending the conclusion of the challenge.

He said, “I think it’s nonsense my- self. It’s not a matter of life or death.

“Anyone getting on an aeroplane

relies on codes. It’s the same with cars. You press the brake, you are perfectly happy to rely on it, but it 1s different when it comes to alcohol in the system.

“It’s nonsense. The sooner people cop on, the better. I think we are losing the run of ourselves when it comes to that kind of thing,’ he Sr HLG

““T think the law is the law as it 1s,

until it’s changed,” he said.

However, he noted that Judge Joseph Mangan, who regularly sits in the district, has granted adjourn- ments and said he would do the same.

“IT wouldn’t grant it if it were me,” he said.

He adjourned the case until June, by which the outcome of the High Court case should be available.

THE bravery of a young man, who jumped into the Fergus river in an effort to save a drowning man, was praised last week.

The tributes were paid during an inquest into the cause of death of a young mechanic. Dermot Molloy (21), of Cahercalla Estate, Ennis, lost his life due to drowning last December.

Ennis Coroner’s Court heard last Wednesday that his body was recov- ered from the river in Ennis on De- cember 12, three days after he was

seen entering the water, in the early hours of the morning.

Colman Tubridy recalled being in Ennis, picking up a group of people, on the night of December 9 last. He had arranged to collect the group at the carpark across from the Queen’s Hotel at 2.15am.

He said he got to the carpark at 2.05am. He saw three young men to his right-hand side.

He said the three of them were talk- ing, before one of them backed away from the other two. That young man then placed his hand on the wall and

jumped and went straight into the river. The other two young men ran OD(o ma Kom eb beee

The inquest heard that Patrick Harding left the Queen’s nightclub rare b

In his deposition to the inquest, Mr Harding said he saw a lot of people running towards the Club Bridge. His sister told him that Dermot Mol- loy had jumped into the river.

‘“T went up to Club Bridge and could see him under the trees. I ran back to Abbey Street carpark. I climbed over the wall at the Bagel Factory

and waded through the water towards Dermot.

“When I got to him, I grabbed hold of him and | grabbed a tree with my right hand. We were there for a short period and then I started to panic. He was moving around a good bit. That’s when I lost grip of the tree,’ he recalled.

“We flowed down the river un- derwater, passing under the Club Bridge,” he said.

However he then lost grip of Mr Molloy. Members of Ennis fire serv- ice then got Mr Harding out of the

river, on the garda station side of the river. Mr Molloy’s body was taken from the water on December 12.

Pathologist Dr Vouneen Healy car- ried out an autopsy on Mr Molloy’s body on December 13. She conclud- ed that death was due to drowning.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea said Mr SE Tiebbetoacmese Cova nme (e)00 (eM lowe. @rle sce edged, along with those of the fire Service.

“T think the appropriate verdict is death by misadventure. It’s very sad that a young man’s life was lost in such tragic circumstances,” she said.

ALLEGATIONS that a man was missing part of his ear as a result of a row in Ennistymon on New Year’s Eve have been heard in court.

According to gardai, the man’s ear was bitten during an alleged assault. Martin Mongans (19), of The Prom- enade, Lahinch, was before Ennisty- mon District Court last Wednesday charged with assaulting a man, caus-

ing him harm. Mr Mongans is also accused of the lesser charge of assaulting two men. He is further charged with being intoxicated in public and with engag- ing in threatening, abusive or insult-

ing behaviour. It is alleged that the incident occurred at Main Street, En- nistymon, on December 31, 2007.

Garda Ian Kelly told the court that he arrested the accused prior to the court sitting, last Wednesday morn- ing. He said he did not make any re- ply, in response to the charges.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked how serious was the allegation of assault. Garda Kelly said the assault causing harm charge related to an alleged incident in which a man sustained a Serious ear injury.

‘‘He’s missing part of his ear,” said the garda.

“There was a row involving a number of individuals. It’s alleged Martin Mongans assaulted the in- jured party and bit his ear and also assaulted two others… minor as- saults, punches,’ said the garda.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey applied for free legal aid for her cli- ent, who is unemployed. She pointed out that the accused had been inter- viewed “some time ago in relation to denne

Supt Gabriel O’Gara said he would not be objecting to bail, on condition that the accused have no contact with the injured parties.

Judge Joseph Mangan declined ju- risdiction and adjourned the case for two months, for preparation of the Book of Evidence, for hearing in the circuit court.

Garda Kelly said there will be 21 statements, some of which are very elena laren

“We are awaiting medical reports also. It will be a period of time be- fore we get all this, given the number of witnesses,” said the garda.

AN ILLNESS that has been de- scribed as causing suicidal tenden- cies in patients affects an estimated 3,000 people in Clare.

The number is only an estimate, however, as the majority of people with psoriasis suffer in silence.

A survey of those afflicted with the lifelong skin condition showed that as many as 81 per cent felt it had affected their self-confidence; 81 per cent felt embarrassed undertak-

ing activities such as undressing in front of others; and 85 per cent felt that psoriasis limited their choice in clothing and lifestyle.

When asked how the ailment made them feel, replies ranged from “fed up, angry, frustrated and embar- rassed” to “helpless and self-con- SC10US’.

This week is National Psoriasis In- formation Week and Clare patients are being encouraged to visit their doctor rather than endure the cond1- tion in silence.

One local person, who like many more 1s embarrassed by her condi- tion, recalled how devastated she felt when a hairdresser reached for rub- ber gloves before treating her hair.

Like others, this person did not understand the condition or how emotionally painful it can be for the Us tce

Dr Trevor Markham, Consultant Dermatologist at University College Hospital, Galway, said, “Psoriasis patients have a reduction in their quality of life similar to or worse

than patients with other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. While there is no ideal treatment for the condition, there are many different treatments available. “Although psoriasis generally does not affect survival, it certainly has a number of major negative effects on patients, demonstrable by a signifi- cant detriment to quality of life. “Patients feel stigmatised by the condition leading to depression and suicidal ideation in more than five per cent of patients,’ he continued.

‘Patients may not realise the treat- ment options that are available, due to the poor access to dermatology services. In addition, the lack of ad- equate phototherapy services, espe- cially in the west of Ireland, contrib- utes to this.”

An information meeting will be held in the South Court hotel, Lim- erick, tomorrow for psoriasis suf- ferers and will be addressed by der- matology nurse, Carol Collins, who will talk about various creams and their application.

THE growth of Clare-based poker schools and online gambling has led to people losing their businesses in high-stakes gaming sessions.

And according to the Bushy Park Treatment Centre in Ennis, the num- bers presenting for gambling addic- tion more than doubled last year.

Centre Director, Margaret Nash said that there is anecdotal evidence of people who have lost businesses to other players in local poker schools.

“You have well-run businesses transferring over. You could be a business owner today and working for the person you gave the business to next week.”

In all, the centre admitted 14 peo- ple with gambling addictions — an increase on the six admitted in 2006. Ms Nash said that online gambling is now huge and that online companies have strategies to lure players back by forwarding them advances.

On the rise in gambling addictions, she said the primary causes were online gambling, horses and poker schools which “were quite big in the

Ennis and Clare area”.

‘The debts are quite big. People es- cape their debts by getting into fur- ther problems with gambling. They have no choice but to go for treat- ment. It is a serious problem.

“Gambling isn’t about winning, it is about the buzz of trying your odds and having a formula that you believe gives you better information — a better formula than the next per- son. It is not about the winning. The buzz is about putting €100,000 on the nose of number seven.

“The hard part of gambling is that there are no symptoms or signs for the family until it gets serious but in hindsight, the family may real- ise that the symptoms are similar to other addictions and these are black- outs, loss of memory, affecting your eating, lack of sleep and agitation.

“Online gambling is huge and banks are beginning to realise that people have problems. There have been cases where banks have called people and there has been no obvi- ous expenditure and big withdraw- als of three and four thousand euro,” said Ms Nash.