Well, blow me over! No sooner do I relate an ancient story of a farmer’s visit to Lisdoonvarna than I see a story in THE IRISH TIMES of a farmer being recommended such a visit by a District Court and the shock and horror arising. The 60 year old bachelor farmer from an isolated part of Kerry had driven to Waterville in that county in July 2014, nearly two years ago and on June 9 this year pleaded guilty at Cahirsiveen District Court to drink driving on the occasion. It seems that he had no previous convictions and that he had beenfree to drive in the intervening rwo years with no harm to anyone.
His Solicitor, John O’Dwyer, explained that his client, John O’Shea had driven to Waterville for cattle feed and had ended up talking about the Munster Football final,hardly surprising in a county many of whose greatest stars bore his own surname. Drink was taken, as it sometimes happens when men discuss transcendent matters, and the man’s alcohol-blood reading was 198mg per 100ml, enough to trigger a three-year driving ban. Mr O’Shea’s car had hit a ditch when he was driving home and nobody was hurt.
The solicitor asked if his client could be put off the road after the Summer. Being off the road would make it difficult for him to care for his cows, and he would have to make arrangements to get rid of them. “Or find himself a nice woman” suggested Judge Jame’s O’Connor. The solicitor suggested that if the extension went beyond September it would allow Mr O’Shea to go to the matchmaking festival at Lisdoonvarna. He said it was not the purpose of the State to “nail” people in terms of undoing their livelihood. He granted an adjournment of the ban until December 8th. (BE IT NOTED THAT NOBODY SUGGESTED THAT THE LAW NOT BE ENFORCED.)
THE IRISH TIMES report continued –
“The decision drew a swift condemnation last night from the Irish Road Victims’ Association. ‘What planet is this judge living on?’ chairwoman Donna Rice asked. ‘For a judge to give a priority to the care of cows over the protection of our families and children going about their daily business shows how out of touch he is with the reality faced by the hundreds of families left with seriously injured loved ones, and family members killed by drunk drivers’ she said.”
THERE ENDETH THE IRISH TIMES REPORT.
It seems to me the judge knows the law and the Directive Principles of Social Policy in the Constitution enacted by popular vote, e.g. – “That the citizens (all of whom, men and women equally have the right to an adequate means of livelihood) may through their occupations find the means of making reasonable provision for their domestic needs. That there may be established on the land in economic security as many families as in the circumstances shall be practicable”
Mr O’Dwyer, the solicitor, and Judge O’Connor are a credit to their professions and to the human race. I might however, qualify the solicitor’s comment on “a nice girl”. If, instead Mr O’Shea were to meet enough naughty girls in Lisdoonvarna he might sire enough sons and daughters to wear the green and gold jerseys of Kerry to reflect yet more glory on the Kingdom.
The “swift condemnation” of Ms Rice seems like an asinine expression of a bovine mind.
Every drunk driver claims to be guilty of only one episode of drunkeness, the one which leads to his prosecution. I live in the country. I see the drunks, every weekend, getting into their cars and driving off confident that a few, or a lot, of alcohol doesn’t affect their driving. One drunk I remonstrated with assured me that he drives better with a few pints in him.
Comparing Ms Rice, a representive of victims of drunk and reckless driving, to an ass or a cow, is profoundly offensive.
I admire your writing and while I am willing to support your right to defend drunk driving, I cannot condone your asinine and bovine abuse of a victims’ spokesperson.
Did’nt Danny Healey Rae TD propose an exemption to allow a 2 or 3 drink exemption for those travelling “on minor roads with very little traffic,often on tractors”!
I did not and do not defend drunk driving.
I have served on a jury and believe judgements need to be based on evidence.
You have no evidence that Mr O’Shea was a habitual drink, much less drunk, driver.
The law was not set aside by the Judge. It will take its course.
Ms Rice shot her mouth off without bothering to consider the known facts. I wouldn’t
be surprised if she gets to write Irish Times Editorials.
Trigger-happy vigilantes deserve being labelled asinine and bovine . Indeed,
privately and in conversation with adult male friends I might use less decorous
terms.
If Kerry scored as often as Mr O’Shea did with the fair sex, nobody would ever be talking about their footballing prowess.
Personally speaking, I would jail the judge.
I have to agree 100 per cent with Ms. Rice and Mary Jo here, as will most people, even those who have not lost loved ones through drunk driving. All the guff about “establish(ing) on the land as many etc.” is not a carte blanche to break the law. Surely no one can argue for a two-tier legal system whereby bulling your own cows allows you to escape the consequences of your action(s).
When I mentioned Green and Gold Jerseys I meant football gear. Not cows.
If you read the Irish Times report you will find I did not misrepresent it. The man is to be sentenced later for his proven and admitted transgression in accordance with the law.
There is no evidence that he was a habitual transgressor nor a current menace to the
public.
I imagine that the very sub-urbane media hacks regard the Judge, the Solicitor, the farmer
and anyone going to Lisdoonvarna as antediluvian culchies.
Whereas I regard them as subtle, intelligent citizens who “could build a nesht in their ears.”