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Irish Times
9 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
How Shane O'Farrell's family spent 14 years searching for the truth after fatal hit-and-run
Shane O'Farrell was 23 when he was the victim of a hit-and-run near his home in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan . A law graduate, he had just submitted his master's thesis and was enjoying a carefree cycle on that August evening in 2011. Questions around how the crash happened soon turned to who was behind the wheel. It was Lithuanian Zigimantas Gridziuska, a man known to the Garda and the courts. During his time in Ireland he had been before the courts many times and accumulated many convictions. On the day he killed Shane and drove off, he had more than 40 convictions, including some in Northern Ireland. READ MORE So how was he free to go out and kill? He had breached his bail conditions many times so why was he not in prison? And where was the justice for Shane when Gridziuska was before the court for the fatal hit-and-run but walked free, allowed return to his family in Lithuania? Since 2011, the O'Farrell family has been seeking answers and has worked tirelessly to understand how the justice system failed their son and brother. His parents Lucia and Jim, and his sisters, Hannah, Pia, Gemma and Aimee were in Leinster House last Tuesday to hear Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan give a State apology to the family 'for the fact that the criminal justice system did not protect him [Shane] as it should have'. Gemma O'Farrell tells In the News about the family's long campaign, how they were stonewalled and disrespected by branches and agencies of the State that should have helped them and how they persisted despite all that. There are, however, still questions to be answered around the institutional failures in the justice system – not only how they relate to their brother's case, but to others. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and John Casey.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Miriam Lord: Lucia O'Farrell shows Dáil the formidable power of a mother's love for her son
Every day, without fail, Lucia O'Farrell goes to a cemetery outside Carrickmacross to visit her beloved son, Shane. He shouldn't be dead. The 23-year-old law student was killed by a hit-and-run driver when out training for a triathlon in August 2011. The driver, a man with a string of criminal convictions, was out on bail when he should have been in jail. Since then, his mother has tirelessly campaigned to find the truth behind his needless death. And as the years passed without any answers, she persevered, despite being stonewalled by evasive government departments and State agencies and fobbed off with sympathetic words and unfulfilled promises. READ MORE Others might have given up. But not the indomitable Lucia. Then, after the long days pursuing more leads and presenting her extensive evidence to the people in power; going to whoever it had to be wherever they happened to be to be to make her case and call for justice, she always returned home to Monaghan , to be with Shane. 'Thirteen years, nine months and 20 days – a long time campaigning,' she remarked outside the gates of Leinster House on Tuesday, her husband Jim and four daughters, Hannah, Gemma, Aimee and Pia, by her side. They were about to go into the Dáil chamber to hear the Minister for Justice issue a public apology on behalf of the Government for systemic failings in the criminal justice system that led to their Shane's death. Moreover, Jim O'Callaghan would announce a change in the law, a fast-track review of the bail system and a Department of Justice-funded UCD scholarship in law graduate Shane's name. Anyone involved in Irish politics at a national level over the last decade or so is familiar with the case. As was pointed in many of the Dáil statements following the public apology, Lucia O'Farrell was a very familiar person around Leinster House. 'In and out of TDs and Senators offices' as one speaker put it. Which is true. Not that it got Lucia and Jim very far, until now. How strange it must have felt for her and the family to now be seated, not in the public gallery, but in the chamber itself, in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery, which is reserved for VIP guests. On Tuesday evening, the TDs were calling up to the O'Farrells to shake their hands. Everyone knew the story. They also knew it wasn't their story to claim. The reason the Dáil was in session for a very rare public apology from the Government was not down to the power of politicians and their ability and will to get things done. It was down to the determination of one woman who simply refused to take no for an answer. In a very moving couple of hours in a hushed chamber, the Dáil gave way to the formidable power of a mother's love for her son. A fact repeated time and again as TDs wiped tears from their eyes and accomplished speakers struggled to control their emotions. Again, after the years of stonewalling and sidestepping, how must it have felt to have the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste sitting side by side, acknowledging how the system failed Shane and how the State would honour his memory by doing better by others? The Dáil was united in support, empathy and compassion for the family, said Taoiseach Micheál Martin , telling Lucia O'Farrell that her battle 'has been long, but not in vain'. 'One of the most fundamental duties of the State is to keep people safe' he said. 'The O'Farrell family deserve better. Shane deserved better.' Tánaiste Simon Harris , echoing the overriding sentiment of the day, stood in awe 'of the might of a mother fighting for justice'. He said the harrowing events of August 2011 became 'a living nightmare for the O'Farrell family' but 'her son's memory lives on thanks to her enduring love.'. At one point, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy came into the chamber. She wasn't wearing her robes of office, but there as a mere TD who had also met the family many times. She sat outside the rail listening to the statements for a while before quietly going over to the family to welcome them to the Dáil. Jim O'Callaghan, as minister, made a businesslike speech – and it was all the better for that. He had spoken many times in support of the family and their call for a public inquiry. Now, less than six months in office, he was doing something concrete to follow up on his words. He would not be ordering an inquiry. Instead, there would be a review carried out by a senior counsel with a four-month delivery deadline attached. Why spend years on an inquiry when the facts are already known? He read them in detail into the record. 'I need neither more, nor further entrenchment, of those facts in order to face up to my responsibility as Minister for Justice,' he said. Nor did he need any more information to acknowledge the State's responsibility 'for failings in our system that exposed Shane to danger on that fateful day'. What was the point in a report that would have people 'lawyering up', ending in a process that would go on for years? When he mentioned the scholarship in Shane's name, his sisters smiled a little and wept quiet tears. He was a graduate of both UCD and TCD, was doing his master's and had a big career in law in advance of him when he was struck down. Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald described meeting Lucia and Jim down through the years: 'A formidable Irish mammy and daddy who took on the powers of the State and never flinched. Not once.' It was an emotional, highly charged session. Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy, who is from Carrickmacross, filled up as he finished a powerful address on the Government's 'final acknowledgment that the family was right in its campaign'. He called for further information held by the Garda to be published. 'I hope you know that today would not have happened without your efforts,' he told Lucia, voice cracking as colleagues welled up around him. The passionate contribution from Fianna Fáil's John McGuinness stopped people in their tracks. The Kilkenny TD has long been a supporter of Lucia O'Farrell, speaking publicly about her fight justice over many years. At times, he was something of a lone voice as the rest of the establishment seemed to move on from this particular cause. He was 'thrilled' to witness this State apology, but wasn't about to give the political world a clap on the back for its part in bringing it about. Lucia 'painted a picture of a State and a system that was rotten. It wasn't the Government and system who uncovered all the wrongdoings. It was Lucia O'Farrell'. This should have been their work but 'she told us to do the job'. In what some will see as a swipe at his party leader, McGuinness praised Jim O'Callaghan for taking action in 'a piece of leadership action others should take note of'. Politicians are not in the Dáil 'to be blindly led by party whips'. Lucia used to ask him how she could face Shane eventually if she didn't get justice. 'Well, Lucia O'Farrell, you can face him whenever that day comes because you certainly have brought justice for Shane and certainly exposed the State for what it is.' Her fight, driven by 'a love from her son that was unmatched and drove her on, was nearing its end. 'I know that Shane would like you to live your life' John said, looking up to Lucia in the gallery. 'So when you go up to visit him this evening, you have something very substantial to report.' He would want to see her and Jim and the girls catch up on the lost years. 'Live out your life!' he cried. 'And live it out in memory of Shane.' On Tuesday night, after the excitement of Dáil Éireann, Lucia returned to Monaghan, the cemetery and Shane. They had a lot to talk about.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Shane O'Farrell: Dáil hears allegations driver in fatal hit and run was ‘garda informer'
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has apologised in the Dáil to the family of the law graduate killed in a hit-and-run incident while cycling near his Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan home, by a repeat offender out on bail. Mr O'Callaghan has appointed a senior counsel to review the bail laws in memory of 23-year-old Shane O'Farrell and the Government is to establish a legal scholarship at UCD. Road traffic legislation in place since 1962 will also be amended to allow a jury convict a person of a lesser offence of careless driving where a person is acquitted for the more serious offence of dangerous driving. The O'Farrell family had called for a full public inquiry into his death in August 2011 when he was struck by Zigimantas Gridziuska, who should have been in prison at the time. READ MORE Mr O'Callaghan signalled however that instead of an inquiry, he has asked senior counsel Lorcan Staines to assess bail laws and identify any necessary changes that need to be made. 'This is not a report that needs to establish facts since those facts are very readily apparent from the charges laid against Garidziuska in the year leading up to the death of Shane O'Farrell.' The minister said the report would not result in people having to invoke their right and 'lawyering up in a process that would inevitably take years. More importantly, it will not need to establish any facts since the relevant facts are already known.' During a Dáil debate Sinn Féin said Gridziuska was a 'garda informer' and had been protected 'above all else'. Mr O'Farrell's family, who had campaigned since his death for an inquiry, were in the distinguished visitors' gallery for the apology and debate. The minister said 'it is incumbent on me, as Minister for Justice to apologise to Shane O'Farrell and the O'Farrell family for the fact that the criminal justice system did not protect him as it should have. 'I do so apologise.' Mr O'Callaghan said 'the loss resulting from his death was incalculable and for the family, interminable'. The State's first failing related to documentation for an appeal by Gridziuska, which was not recorded, the Minister said. He added that the second failure happened when the offender, who committed further offences, was not brought before Judge John O'Hagan, who had granted bail on strict conditions, nor was the judge informed of those offences. If the convictions had been brought to the judge's attention, Gridziuska would probably have been jailed. Gridziuska, a Lithuanian national, left the scene of the fatal crash but the following day handed himself in to gardaí. He had more than 40 convictions at the time, including some in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said there were credible allegations that he operated as a garda informant. The party's justice spokesman Matt Carthy said 'many people, myself included, believe that Zigimantas Gridziuska was an informer, that he was permitted to wreak havoc because gardaí prioritised the protection of their source above all else'. Mr Carthy became emotional as he described Mr O'Farrell's mother Lucia as a force of nature whose efforts had resulted in this apology, adding that 'you've done Shane proud'. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said the apology was 'welcome and overdue', adding that 'it is an important day'. Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness, a long-time campaigner on the case, paid tribute to the minister who 'despite obstacles', had shown 'leadership qualities that others should take note of', to 'ensure that justice is done'. Social Democrats acting leader Cian O'Callaghan said the family's trauma, grief and heartache had been compounded by the State's response. He called for all reports on the Monaghan man's death to be published, as he noted that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission had had the case for seven years.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Government apologises to family of cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash
The Justice Minister has announced a review of bail laws after apologising to the family of a Monaghan cyclist who was killed in a hit-and-run crash almost 14 years ago. On August 2nd, 2011, 23-year-old law graduate Shane O'Farrell was cycling home when he was struck by a car in the Carrickmacross area of Co Monaghan. Advertisement The driver of the car, Zigimantas Gradzuiska, failed to remain at the scene. The Lithuanian national had a number of previous convictions including for theft and drugs offences. The Dáil heard that the day he struck Mr O'Farrell, Gradzuiska should have been in jail for breaches of bail conditions that were applied to him at the time. In one instance, the late Judge John O'Hagan had told him that he would be 'going to prison' if he got in trouble again after January 11th, 2011. Advertisement He received multiple convictions after that date, for which he lodged appeals. The family of Shane O'Farrell (Niall Carson/PA) He was also serving a number of suspended sentences and there had been numerous warrants for his arrest which had not been executed. In addition, the Garda Drug Squad stopped the car approximately one hour before the collision and the Dáil has previously heard it was observed to be in a dangerous, defective condition, but allowed to continue with Gradzuiska as the driver. Gradzuiska was prosecuted in February 2013 for dangerous driving causing Mr O'Farrell's death. Advertisement He was acquitted of that charge by direction of the trial and, under the law at the time, a lesser charge of careless driving was not open to the jury. Mr O'Farrell's family have been calling for a public inquiry into the circumstances of his death and why Gradzuiska had not been in jail. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan (Brian Lawless/PA) That call was supported by Fianna Fáil TD Jim O'Callaghan while he was in opposition. Mr O'Callaghan, who has since become Minister for Justice, told the Dail in March that he cannot now ignore that a scoping exercise into Mr O'Farrell's death recommended that there should be no further public inquiry. Advertisement Delivering an apology to the O'Farrell family in the Dail on Tuesday, he said he did not need a public inquiry to establish the facts in the case or address failings that led to the fatal incident. He acknowledged that the Dail and Seanad had previously voted to support an inquiry, but added that he did not need one to confront those failings or issue the apology. Mr O'Callaghan said Mr O'Farrell had his 'whole life ahead of him' and that his 'loss was incalculable'. He said he could not alleviate the pain felt by the family and added: 'It is incumbent on me as Minister for Justice to apologise to Shane O'Farrell and the O'Farrell family for the fact that the criminal justice system did not protect him as it should have.' Advertisement Mr O'Callaghan announced a range of reforms including a review of bail laws and suspended sentences, as well as an amendment to road traffic laws to allow juries to consider a lesser charge of careless driving in instances where a trial judge has directed the acquittal of a person on dangerous driving. 'The legitimate questions that the O'Farrell family have asked are why the persistent breaches of bail conditions by Gridziuska, through the commission of further offences, did not trigger a response under our criminal justice code, and why were consecutive sentences not imposed in respect of the offences he committed whilst on bail, and why warrants that were issued were not executed.' He added: 'The broader question that needs to be answered is how our criminal justice system should respond to a recidivist offender who persistently breaks summary laws and whether, even if the theft offences had been brought back to the attention of Judge O'Hagan, the Judge would have had the jurisdiction through statutory power to remand Gridziuska in custody.' The minister also announced plans to memorialise Mr O'Farrell with a Department of Justice-funded scholarship that will be awarded to a student who distinguishes him or herself in the Masters in Law degree at University College Dublin every year. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald (Liam McBurney/PA) Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the apology was a vindication of the 'courageous and relentless pursuit of truth and justice' by the O'Farrell family. However, Ms McDonald said no answers had been provided to 'credible allegations' that Gradzuiska 'had been operating as a garda informer'. She also said that the 'bereft family' had been 'forced to battle for more than a decade against a State and a system that should have their backs'. Ms McDonald said: 'This person was routinely able to flout bail, court orders and custodial sentences. 'He hit and killed a young man with his car – at a time when he should have been in jail. 'The big unanswered question is this – why he was at liberty on the night that he fatally struck Shane with this car?' Taoiseach Micheál Martin (Niall Carson/PA) Prior to the apology, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government recognises the deep pain, trauma and sense of loss suffered by Shane's parents Lucia and Jim. 'What occurred should not have occurred. One of the most fundamental duties of the State is to seek to keep our people safe.' However, he said that 'tragically due to failings within our justice system' Mr O'Farrell was exposed to danger to which he should not have been exposed. Mr Martin said those series of feelings allowed Gradzuiska to be at liberty when he should have been in custody. 'It is is obvious that our communities deserved better, the O'Farrell family deserved better, Shane O'Farrell deserved better.' He commended the family for their bravery and courage over the intervening years. Tánaiste Simon Harris (Brian Lawless/PA) Tánaiste Simon Harris said the Government was acknowledging failures in the Courts Service and criminal justice service that exposed Mr O'Farrell to danger. He said Government has made decisions following Mr O'Callaghan's recommendations which he hoped would 'bring about meaningful change'. Mr Harris said: 'I hope today in some small way can start to heal the wounds left by Shane's untimely death.' He added: 'Nothing we can do or say can ever make up for the grief and sorrow of the O'Farrell family, and the anguish of their long campaign for justice, but I hope that the apology today and the actions we are taking alongside it may be some balm for the pain you bear. 'I hope you will take some comfort in having translated that pain into changes that should protect others in the way that Shane should have been protected, so that other families do not endure the suffering that you have. 'Shane's memory lives on in this and in so many ways thanks to your enduring love and inexhaustible resilience.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Shane O'Farrell: Irish government apologises over Monaghan hit-and-run
The Irish government has apologised to the family of a cyclist who was killed in a hit-and-run caused by a driver who should have been in O'Farrell, 23, was struck by a car while cycling near his home in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, in driver, Zigimantas Gridziuska, had more than 40 convictions at the time, including some in Northern in the Dáil Éireann on Tuesday, Tánaiste (Ireland's deputy prime minister) Simon Harris TD said: "We acknowledge failures in the Courts Service and the criminal justice system that exposed Shane to danger on the fateful day of his tragic death." The O'Farrell family have campaigned for a public inquiry into their son's body of the law graduate was found nearly 60 yards (54m) from the point where he was hit by a car on 2 August a Lithuanian national, left the scene of the fatal crash but the following day he handed himself into gardaí (Irish police).He had been a regular defendant in courts in Monaghan, Cavan and Louth in the years prior to the killing, according to RTÉ. In the January, before the fatal crash, a ruling from Monaghan Circuit Court meant Gridziuska should have been in jail at the time of Mr O'Farrell's he remained on prison sentence handed down in February 2011 was also not Court Services of Ireland previously said Gridziuska's prison sentences were never served because of what it described as an administrative part of their long-running campaign, the O'Farrell family have previously travelled to Belfast and Brussels to raise their case in Stormont and the European Parliament. 'Healing wounds' Harris hopes that the apology can "in some small way can start to heal the wounds left by Shane's untimely death"."The harrowing events of that day in August 2011 were just the beginning of a living nightmare for the O'Farrell family," he added that the government has made "a number of decisions" which have been recommended by the minister and have risen from the campaign of the O'Farrell hopes these decisions will "bring about meaningful change" and said that Minister O'Callaghan will outline these decisions in more detail."As tánaiste, I fully endorse and support the apology."
