Summonses served on Healy Raes
SUMMONSES have been served on election candidate Jackie Healy Rae – the son of TD Michael Healy Rae – after he voluntarily presented himself at Kenmare Garda Station at the weekend following an arrangement with gardaí.
Jackie, who is a parliamentary assistant for his father, is facing two charges – one assault charge at East Park, Kenmare, and a second more serious charge of assault causing harm on the same alleged injured party at Main Street, Kenmare on December 28, 2017. He will appear before Kenmare District Court on April 5.
On that date the DPP will give directions on where the case is to be heard and if it is to be heard at district court or circuit court level. Judge David Waters will also make a decision on whether or not to accept jurisdiction of the case.
Defence solicitor for Jackie Healy Rae, of Sandymount, Kilgarvan, Padraig O’Connell, said this week that Jackie is pleading not guilty on all charges.
Two other defendants are also due before court in relation to the same alleged incident during Christmas 2017. Jackie’s brother, Kevin Healy Rae, the younger son of Michael Healy Rae, is also facing one charge of assault causing harm at Main Street. He is also pleading not guilty to the charge of assault on the same injured party as his brother.
Malachy Scannell of Inchinacoosh, Kilgarvan is also facing charges from the night, including assault causing harm to two parties and a third charge of criminal damage.
Mr O’Connell is also representing Kevin Healy Rae and Malachy Scannell and stated that all parties will be pleading not guilty and the court date has been set for Friday, April 5 at Kenmare District Court.
Mr O’Connell also said that an enquiry into the leaking of information prior to the summonses being served is ongoing. A TRALEE man and his wife caught up in living through last week’s ‘polar vortex’ which gripped the United States, have described to the reality of living through such extreme weather conditions.
Mike McCarthy, originally from Connolly Park, said that frostbite, hypothermia and death were some of the very real dangers they faced as they were advised not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary.
“Well for the spate of the weather warning, we were looking at a temperature of about -30 degrees Celsius with a windchill reaching to negative -50 degrees Celsius so it was dangerously cold,” said Mike.
“Five minutes of direct skin exposure to the elements could have lead to frostbite. It was crazy.”
“Those who needed to leave and use their car were advised to bring three days worth of food and water as well as blankets etc. It was so cold here that yesterday we fired a cup of boiling water into the air outside and immediately it turned to mist,” he continued.
All schools in the are were closed and Mike said that he was forced to work from home for a few days.
Mike said that even though the Mid West is well prepared for harsh winters, last week’s ‘polar vortex’ was “different phenomenon.”
“The weather was just crazy. It was so cold that your eye lashes would start to freeze up with a few minutes. God’s honest truth, it was very rough out there. The dangers are this kind of weather are frightening.”
Utilising past knowledge of freezing temperatures here in Ireland to help them get through the cold, Mike said that he and Stephanie were well prepared.
“I went back to the big freeze we had around 2009, 2010 in Ireland by ensuring their is a constant drip in the taps so that we don’t suffer a burst pipe, all the piping here is copper.”
“We were kept fairly warm inside thanks to the furnace. A turf fire would have been nicer, but still, the place was warm. We’re not looking forward to the heating bill,” Mike laughed.
Thankfully though, like all good Kerry men, he was fully prepared with all the essentials.
“Luckily we had the week’s OVER 350,000 RTÉ viewers will soon get to relish the medieval village of Ardfert in all its glory - past and present - as Nationwide broadcast a lengthy feature on it.
In Nationwide’s first ever visit to the former ecclesiastical capital of Kerry, the team will focus on three strands of the village story in a broadcast that’s thanks to filmmaking couple Jim and Catherine McCarthy from Fenit. The recent documentary they made, Ardfert: A Historical Gem, caught the attention of the Nationwide team who are now to devote the best part of an episode to Ardert as a result, drawing heavily on the documentary footage compiled by Jim and Catherine.
It’s expected to be broadcast in March. “We’re delighted that it has resulted in what will be shopping done good and early so we were well set for grub and the essentials including Barry’s Tea and of course, Kerrygold butter.” the first ever feature on Ardfert by Nationwide and I understand they will be focusing on three items in particular from the documentary, the work of the Banna Sea Rescue unit, Ardfert Cathedral and Roger Casement,” Jim explained.
They will have much to draw upon from the wide-ranging documentary, which featured interviews with scores of people involved in various aspects of village life - not least the overview of the major archaeological excavation of the Cathedral in the ‘90s, which Jim himself worked on.
Nationwide interviewed four people afresh for the piece - Jim and Catherine themselves; as well as former chair of the Cathedral graves committee Eamon Kirby and Caroline O’Callaghan who wrote two songs for Ardfert: A Historical Gem.