Six men in court charged with violent disorder outside Donegal church

Stephen Maguire

Six men have appeared in court charged with violent disorder outside Sunday mass at a Co Donegal church.

The men, all members of the same family, were involved in an alleged brawl at the Church of the Irish Martyrs in Letterkenny on August 18th, 2024.

Members of the congregation had to be kept inside the church after the incident in which slash hooks, an axe, a saw and knives were produced.

A number of the men were previously charged at Letterkenny District Court with a range of public order incidents relating to the alleged brawl.

There was a strong Garda presence at Letterkenny District Court on Wednesday when all six men were charged with further charges of violent disorder on the same date.

Members of the Garda Public Order Unit as well as members of the Armed Response Unit were in the vicinity of the courthouse as the accused men arrived at the courthouse.

Detective Garda Gerard McCready and Detective Garda Stephen McGonigle gave evidence of charging all six men with the additional violent disorder charges.

After being charged, the detectives said all six accused men made no reply.

The men were represented by solicitor Patsy Gallagher.

All six were charged with committing violent disorder in that they, with other persons, used or threatened to use unlawful violence and such conduct, taken together, was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at said place to fear for his or another person’s safety.

The charge is contrary to section 15 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994.

Four of the men had previously been charged with other offences connected with the date in question.

Michael Reilly Jr (31), of Kishogue Park, Lucan, Dublin, was charged with threatening and abusive behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace and also had a small axe and two sharp kitchen knives.

Michael Reilly Sr (57), of Tailteann Drive, Windtown, Navan, Co Meath, was also charged with threatening and abusive behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace as well as posession of a slash-hook with intention to cause injury or intimidate.

Thomas Reilly (22) and John Paul Reilly (30), both of Tailteann Drive, Windtown, Navan, Co Meath, were also charged with threatening and abusive behaviour and that they had a foldable garden saw with intention to cause injury or intimidate.

Brian Reilly is currently in custody, the court was told.

The 28-year-old was also charged with producing a slash hook, intended to cause injury to, incapacitate or intimidate a person, to wit, production of an offensive weapon in a church car park in relation to an ongoing dispute with members of another family whom were present at the time.

The latter charge was contrary to section 9(5) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990.

Gary Reilly (20), of Tailteann Drive, Windtown, Navan, was charged with violent disorder on the same date.

Five of the accused men had their cases adjourned until September 17th for the service of a book of evidence.

The court was told that all the accused men will be excused on that date if the book of evidence is not ready.

Brian Reilly, who is in custody in the Midlands Prison, had his case adjourned to a special sitting of Sligo District Court by videolink on April 22nd.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that all matters will be tried by indictment at Letterkenny Circuit Court.

At the previous sitting of the court another man, Michael McDonagh (34), of the Big Isle in Letterkenny, was charged with threatening and abusive behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.