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A former Tipperary native and homeless man, who tried to choke his girlfriend after she refused to eat a meal, which he had cooked for her, has been jailed for four years, with the final 12 months suspended to encourage his rehabilitation.
The former homeless man, named as Mr Stephen Coveney-Ryan, attacked Ms Roisin MacNeilis, after she had invited him into her home, following the pair having met on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, 2021, at Dublin’s BusÁras bus station, just weeks earlier. Following their first meeting, the couple had communicated, keeping in contact by text messaging.
Mr Coveney-Ryan threatened to kill Ms MacNeilis and other family members, on July 10th 2021, and to inter them in a shallow grave, following his explosive fit of rage at her home.
Mr Coveney-Ryan, aged 26 years, appeared before Letterkenny Circuit Court in Co Donegal, where he admitted threatening to kill Ms MacNeilis, while also assaulting her and threatening her with a fishing knife.
Ms MacNeilis had invited him to stay with her at her home in Donegal town and they then began a relationship.
The court was told that the accused had made dinner but Ms MacNeilis said she was not hungry and decided to eat a bowl of cereal instead.
Ms MacNeilis, who was eight weeks pregnant at the time was continuously choked and abused, until she finally managed to escape by jumping out of a window.
She drove to the woods around Harvey’s Point near Donegal town, before receiving messages and calls threatening to chop her up and feed her to pigs, adding that he would also kill her parents and put them into the boot of the car and bury them in a shallow grave.
She later informed her parents about the ordeal two days later, before contacting Gardaí to make a statement.
Mr Coveney-Ryan, with an address at O’Clerigh Avenue, Donegal town, but originally from Co Tipperary, was arrested and taken to Ballyshannon Garda station.
The court was informed that Mr Coveney-Ryan had a number of previous charges for various incidents including burglary, theft, intoxication, breach of a barring order, possession of drugs and using threatening and abusive language.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice John Aylmer said that such offences, merited a sentence of five years in prison.
The Judge took into account Mr Coveney-Ryan’s plea of guilty and apparent genuine remorse; noting he had undertaken a number of courses, while remaining in custody.
He therefore reduced the five year sentence to four years, suspending the final 12 months and also backdating same to when Mr Coveney-Ryan was initially taken into custody.
He was also ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs and to comply with the prison resettlement programme.
The failure to raise Aluminium Flood Barriers at the junction of Thomond Road and Emmett Street in Thurles, and the unblocking of one drain at the base of Thurles foot bridge, is causing unnecessary flooding here in Thurles.
It should be noted that as water rises on this now flooded Thurles junction, following occasional rain showers, a storm drain, less than 5 meters away, is helping to drain new excess rising flood water, successfully, back into the river.
Anti-flood flaps/valves fitted to Emmett Street road storm drains do not appear to be functioning presently, possibly due to being prevented from closing by a build up of vegetation. This neglect is caused by the Council’s pretence love of biodiversity; latter the excuse for our local Council’s failure to properly maintain our town.
Our eye in the sky captured the above picture at 4:00pm this afternoon November 3rd, showing the true cause of the unnecessary flooding, which has homes across the road using sandbags to block water from entering their homes.
The flood barriers exist, currently shut, as can be seen in the above picture, both at the swinging gates and also across the nearby wheelchair/pram entrance.
Thurles Municipal District are now being asked to monitor and temporarily lift the flood barriers to allow the vast majority of flood water to escape back into the river and to clean the offending blocked drains.
The flooding is seen by residents as an irresponsible act, carried out by Thurles Municipal District Council officials.
It was with a great sadness that we learned of the death yesterday, Wednesday 2nd November 2022, of Mrs Catherine (Kitty) Brett (née Horgan), Drangan, Thurles, Co. Tipperary and formerly of Patrick O’Donoghue Place, Togher, Co. Cork.
Pre-deceased by her husband Tom, daughter Eileen and sons David, John and great grandchild Brooke; Mrs Brett passed away peacefully while in the care of staff at Cork University Hospital.
Her passing is most deeply regretted and sadly missed by her children Anne, Conor, Martina, Thomas and Janet, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, extended relatives neighbours and friends.
Requiescat in pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mrs Brett will repose at her place of residence Newtowndrangan, Thurles, on Friday afternoon, November 4th, from 2:00pm until 7:00pm.
Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Saturday morning, November 5th, at 10:00am in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Lough Road, The Lough, Co. Cork, followed by interment immediately afterwards in St. James Cemetery, Chetwynd, Co. Cork.
The extended Brett family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time and have made arrangements for those wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
Note Please: No Flowers. Donations in lieu, if desired, to Cork ARC .
Suaimhneas síoraí dá h-anam dílis.
- New court will be managed by judges with specialist training.
- It will provide for greater specialism to enable more efficient management of cases dealing with planning and environmental matters and judicial review in particular.
- Dealing with these cases efficiently is critical to State’s delivery of housing and infrastructure and environmental commitments.
The Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee has today received Cabinet approval to establish a dedicated Planning and Environment division of the High Court.
The Programme for Government and Housing for All plan commits to the establishment of a new Planning and Environmental Law Court, managed by judges with specialist training, as well as legislative changes in relation to Judicial Review on planning cases.
Minister McEntee said: “Planning and environmental judicial review cases are a notable feature of Ireland’s planning and statutory consenting processes. The ability to deal with these cases efficiently and effectively is critical to the State’s delivery of housing and infrastructure, and in protecting the environment.
This new court, once in operation, will provide for greater specialism to enable the more efficient management of cases dealing with planning and environmental matters and judicial review in particular.
It is envisaged that the dedicated court will operate in a similar manner to the Commercial Court and that the Court will work in tandem with reforms to planning legislation, to bring about improvements in the ability to process cases and in costs, and to be consistent with Ireland’s obligations under EU environmental law.
My Department is working in partnership with the Courts Service and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to advance work to establish the new Court.”
Commenting, Minister of State with Responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Mr Peter Burke TD, said, “The establishment of a dedicated Planning and Environment division of the High Court was a key commitment made in both the Programme for Government and in Housing for All and it will assist in the timely processing of litigation in relation to planning matters. Importantly, this aligns with the ongoing consolidation and review of planning legislation, which is being led by the Attorney General and the Department of Housing, and will be a key enabler in the delivery of our Housing for All Plan.”
In parallel, the Judicial Planning Working Group (JPWG), established by the Department of Justice in April 2021, is due to report later this year. The JPWG was set up in line with commitments in the Programme for Government and Justice Action Plan 2021 to “Establish a working group to consider the number of and type of judges required to ensure the efficient administration of justice over the next five years”. Its recommendations will help inform any future judicial resourcing needs, including for the proposed new Planning and Environmental Law Court.
While primary legislation would be needed to allow for the appointment of additional judges, the actual establishment of the Court can be effected without the need for amending primary legislation.
This work is expected be completed as soon as possible.
Perhaps it’s being caused by climate change, global warming, or the current mild weather being experience here in Ireland. Either way, it appears that some ghosts, phantom ghouls and wandering souls are reluctant to return to that place of departed spirits, as I experienced and photographed, while passing a local graveyard tonight. [Thank goodness the gate was locked.]
In earlier times people would dread being out late on the eve of November 2nd, “All Soul’s Day” as ghosts were said to be observed in the most isolated of places, especially in rural graveyards.
People would remain at home and would refrain from going out after dark, thus avoiding walking on or indeed with the dead.
So deep was the belief that households would sit around a blazing fire, relating stories about their memories of ancestors, before retiring early to their beds.
However, going early to bed would not take place before leaving the house ready for any visiting dead. The door on this night would remain unlocked in rural areas; while in larger towns and cities a window was left open instead, and for obvious reasons. A big fire was put down before going to bed and hot ashes (Irish -gríosach) were never raked out on that night.
No water could be thrown outside on All Souls’ Day, as they could be accidently throwing it into the faces of invisible wandering soul’s.
If people gave money to a poor man calling to their door on All Souls Day, the householder could expect great luck within the next 12 months.
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