Three fined for damaging landmark in `drunken prank'

Three young men who took part in a drunken prank in which one of them knocked the head off the statue of adraig Padraic O Conaire…

Three young men who took part in a drunken prank in which one of them knocked the head off the statue of adraig Padraic O Conaire in Eyre Square were each fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation at Galway District Court yesterday.

Sentencing the three Northern Ireland men, Judge John Garavan compared the removal of the head of the landmark statue to the Mona Lisa being removed from the Louvre in Paris.

The court heard that the head was knocked off the statue with one kick and removed from the area as part of a drunken prank. "The statue of Padraic O Conaire was a treasure of Galway and features in all promotional literature in relation to the city," said Judge Garavan. O Conaire was to be remembered as a writer and a remarkable man.

Garrett Leahy (21), of The Hermitage, Armagh; Gavin McNaney (18), of Ashley Avenue, Armagh; and Gary O'Connor (19), of Drumbeola Avenue, Armagh, all pleaded guilty to stealing the head of the statue. The statue is valued at £50,000 and it cost £11,000 to repair the head.

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O'Connor also pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the statue at Eyre Square on April 9th.

A fourth man, Mr John McManus (20), of Rock Road, Armagh, who is charged with stealing the head of the statue, opted for trial by judge and jury. He was remanded on continuing bail to Galway District Court on December 13th.

The three men admitted being on a drinking spree in the course of which they got involved in committing criminal damage. O'Connor and McNaney were right beside the statue when O'Connor kicked the head, knocking it off. They went away to consume more alcohol before returning later to remove the head and take it to near the hostel where they were staying.

Insp O'Donnell said they intended bringing the head home the following day. It was retrieved when a bus leaving Galway was stopped and searched by gardai, who then arrested the four defendants. They admitted the offence and gave a full account of what had occurred.

Insp O'Donnell said gardai accepted that it was an act of mindless vandalism committed in a drunken state, and there was nothing more sinister involved.