A District Court Judge has expressed concerns at the image being portrayed of Donegal in a number of ‘high profile’ incidents.
Judge Paul Kelly was speaking at today’s sitting of Falcarragh District Course, in the case of John Ward, who was charged with dangerous driving and obstruction on May 30 2015
A newly-married couple, Michael and Siobhan Doogan, were filmed in the middle of the N56 at Gortahork with cars, one of them being driven by Mr Ward, circling around them.
A video of the incident, which was filmed by another driver, appeared on the internet and had gone ‘viral’.
Solicitor Frank Dorrian, representing Mr Ward, said his client had done ‘rotations at the behest of other people.’
He said: “It was done in the spirit of levity and he did not perceive any danger.
His involvement was minor here. He was the first person to do a pirouette and there were other incidents that he did not participate in.
“The filming was done by the driver of the other car and it wasn’t at his instigation that this happened.
“He assures me to assure you that there will be no re-occurrence of this at any point on the graph. He never sought to negate responsibility.”
The court was told that Mr Ward is a 26-year-old, who works in the UK, where he makes his living driving ‘specialist equipment’ and returns to Ireland once a fortnight to see his child.
On the charge of dangerous driving, Mr Ward was fined €500 and given three months to pay. The obstruction charge was struck out.
Judge Kelly said: “There are several of these incidents at various locations and there seems to be the view that people come to Donegal and this is what is expected.
“It gives the county a bad name. I listened yesterday to a lot of media talk about Donegal Tuesday. It is a concern that this is the perception and there are so many incidents that have such a high profile.
“There are a number of traffic incidents and some horrible accidents. There is a view that you can come up here to Donegal and get away with it.”