Judge tells chef he must not attend Mass in Kilrane
THE RESCUE 117 helicopter and the Rosslare lifeboat searched a huge area off the Wexford coast on Tuesday afternoon and evening following reports that a swimmer had been seen heading out to sea from Rosslare Strand.
However, the search was called after four hours with nothing found.
The RNLI said the alarm was raised shortly after 3 p.m. by a member of the public who reported what they thought to be a swimmer being carried out to sea from Rosslare Strand.
The all-weather lifeboat under coxswain A CHEF brought before Judge Miriam Walsh was advised to change his place of worship.
David Duggan (56), resident at Big Hole, Rosslare Strand was before the District Court sitting at Ardcavan accused of breach of a safety order.
Evidence was provided by Garda John O’Flynn who arrested Duggan on, Sunday July 30 after receiving a report that the defendant put Dervla Dunne in fear.
The safety order was taken out by the landlady at Culleton’s public house in Kilrane on the last Tuesday in July.
Five days later, Duggan was parked near the pub – in which he retained a business interest - when she arrived to open up.
Ms Dunne gave evidence of how he drove away giving a one-finger gesture through the Eamonn O’Rourke launched at 3.15 p.m. and began an extensive search, along with Rescue 177 from Waterford.
Weather conditions were good for searching with a south west Force 4 wind blowing.
Following the four-hour search, the volunteer crew were requested to stand down the lifeboat at 7.30 p.m., with no one reported missing and no one found.
Speaking following the call out, Jamie Ryan, Rosslare Harbour RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer said:
‘We would like to commend the member of the public who raised the alarm today, that is the right thing to do if you think someone has got into difficulty on the water.’ open car window.
‘I am just scared of him all the time,’ the licensee stated from the witness box.
She reckoned that Duggan had worked for two weeks in Culleton’s since September of last year but accepted that he was still a partner in the business. She was concerned that he cycled past the pub all the time, stopping across the road from the premises.
She stated that he constantly texted her 21-year-old son Billy.
Her partner Bobby Butler estimated that Duggan was outside the pub on the morning in question for about half an hour.
Defending solicitor Lana Doherty said her client had informed her he attended Mass that morning in the nearby church. Ms Doherty described the accused man as a professional chef who had worked for 38 years at Kelly’s Hotel, though he was not now not working.
She stressed that he had no history of violent behaviour and that no words were exchanged during the Sunday encounter.
The judge described the behaviour of the defendant as ‘inciteful’ but she was prepared to grant bail.
The accused man signed a bond agreeing to remain away from Rosslare Harbour and Killrane, and to have no contact with Dervla Dunne, withher son Billy, or with Bobby Butler.
Judge Walsh made it clear that he must not attend Mass at Kilrane until further notice and, if he wanted to go to church then he must find another place of worship.
On that basis the case was adjourned.