AN INTER-COUNTY hurler for Kerry has been disqualified from driving for two years, fined and has had his licence endorsed after pleading guilty to driving with excess alcohol in an incident in which his partner was killed.
Michael Conway (28), Cloghers, Lixnaw, a carpenter and a senior Kerry hurler, had been driving from Listowel to Abbeydorney at 3.30am on October 17th, 2010, when he lost control of his vehicle, Garda Insp Fearghal Patwell told Listowel District Court.
His car veered left off the road at Irrebeg, Lixnaw, and hit a tree with Louise McKenna (27) suffering fatal injuries, the garda said. He co-operated fully with gardaí at the scene and a urine sample showed a reading of 137mg. He had no previous convictions and had been very co-operative, the garda said.
Pádraig O’Connell, Conway’s solicitor, said he and his partner had built a house together in 2006. They had a seven-year-old son, Darragh.
On the night in question, they had been socialising in Listowel and had gone for drinks. They had wanted to get a taxi to their home in Lixnaw but there was none available and Conway decided to drive.
Investigations had shown he had not been doing any great speed, while an engineer’s report had determined that the condition of the road was a contributory factor, Mr O’Connell said.
His client had accepted at the earliest moment that he was driving with excess alcohol and had pleaded guilty.
Mr O’Connell said the death of his partner haunted Conway every waking moment. He had lived for his son and his partner and he visited his son at the home of the boy’s maternal grandparents every day.
Judge Mary O’Halloran disqualified Conway from driving for two years, endorsed his licence and fined him €400. She expressed her condolences at the loss of life.