A Co Cork farmer who exposed himself to women and children on a Galway beach was fined £300 at Galway District Court yesterday.
Michael Broderick (53) from Glengarriff More, Lemlara, Midleton, Co Cork, was in Galway for the races on July 13th when he decided to go to Silver Strand beach outside Barna village.
Insp Tony O'Donnell told the court the gardai arrested Broderick after they received a number of complaints from members of the public that a man was walking up and down the beach exposing himself to women and children.
Mr William Sandys, defending, said his client's behaviour was "more innocent than anything else" as he had not realised he was exposing himself. He said Broderick went into the water in his boxer shorts and walked around. Afterwards he took off the boxer shorts to let them dry and sat on the pier wall with just a towel wrapped around him.
Mr Sandys said his client was very embarrassed by what had happened and he assured the court it would never happen again.
Fining Broderick £300, Judge Thomas Fitzpatrick said his behaviour had been despicable, especially in front of young women and children.