Latest news with #PadraigDelaney
RTÉ News
24-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Laois strike at the death against Carlow to grab place in Joe McDonagh Cup final
Laois qualified for the Joe McDonagh Cup final after they scored a late goal to edge out Carlow on points difference with this Round 5 clash finishing level at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday. It was heartbreak for Carlow who looked as if they had done enough as the game went into the closing stages. With the match referee, Caymon Flynn, calling three minutes injury time, the home side conceded a line-ball on half-way. The three minutes were up. Play continued. Carlow had to face a 65 and still the full-time whistle didn't come. With every player bar the Laois keeper gone forward, Padraig Delaney's delivery was inch perfect and James Duggan got the merest of deflections to deflect the ball over the line. With the puck-out came the final whistle. It was the culmination of a teak tough encounter where a moment such as what transpired was always likely to be decisive. While the eventual winners had opened the scoring with a Tomás Keyes point, Carlow hit back with James Doyle and Marty Kavanagh both raising white flags. A high delivery aimed at Chris Nolan saw him make the catch and turning he hammered the ball low and hard to the net. The three-pointer put the home side four up. Laois responded with Tomás Keyes firing over a range of points from play and placed efforts. Carlow hit a purple patch and Marty Kavanagh knocked over four frees in succession. At the half-time break, Carlow led 1-9 to 0-11. Two minutes into the second half that lead went out to three points with Nolan and Kavanagh both raising white flags. Tom Cuddy, in defiance, fired over a Laois point. Carlow keeper, Brian Tracey did well when he got in his hurl to deny Jer Quinlan when a Laois goal looked on. Carlow's second goal came from Paddy Boland coming towards the end of the third quarter. That looked as if it was going to be the crucial score. Laois dug deep. Both sides threw everything into the final quarter. The Barrowsiders had chances to go four clear in the closing stages but didn't take them. Instead, the visitors forced that sensational draw which was enough to get them through to play Kildare who held off a comeback from Down to seal their place in the final. Carlow: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Tony Lawlor; Evan Kealy, Kevin McDonald, Jack McCullagh; Ciaran Whelan, Fiachra Fitzpatrick (0-1); Jon Nolan (0-1), James Doyle (0-2), Paddy Boland (1-1); Chris Nolan (1-1), Marty Kavanagh (0-10, 7fs 2-65s), John Michael Nolan (0-1). Subs: Conor Kehoe for JM Nolan (52), Ted Joyce for J Nolan (65). Laois: Cathal Dunne; Donnacha Hartnett, Lee Cleere, Diarmaid Conway; Tom Cuddy (0-1), Padraig Delaney (0-1f), Ryan Mullaney; John Lennon, David Dooley; Aidan Corby, Charles Dwyer (0-1f), Paddy Purcell; Jer Quinlan (0-1), Tomas Keyes (0-14 9fs 2-65s), Ben Conroy.
Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Irish Times
Man who beat his ‘free spirit' friend to death sentenced to life
A 'remorseless' killer beat his friend to death with a hammer and left him wrapped in carpet underlay in a dog pen in his back garden, the Central Criminal Court has heard. When gardaí found Shane Knott's body in the back garden of Padraig Delaney's home, the deceased was unrecognisable and had to be identified through his DNA. A jury in Tullamore found Delaney (44) guilty of murder earlier this year, rejecting his claim that he acted in self-defence. Delaney, of The Lane, Eustace Demesne, Naas, Co Kildare had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Shane Knott (37) at Delaney's home between April 3rd and April 14th, 2024. READ MORE The trial heard that Delaney's brother, Tadhg Delaney, was murdered in Tallaght in November 2023. Nobody has been charged with his murder, and the investigation is ongoing. Delaney told gardaí that he believed the Kinahan crime organisation was involved in his brother's murder and had sent Mr Knott to kill him. Sentencing Delaney (44) to life imprisonment on Monday, Mr Justice Paul Burns described Delaney's claims that he acted in self-defence as a 'self-serving fabrication' which was rightly rejected by the jury. In a victim impact statement, the deceased's mother, Catherine Fitzsimons, said her son was subjected to 'deliberate and devastating violence at the hands of a man he once called his friend.' She said she had twice reported her son missing in April 2023, not knowing he was already dead. He was, she said: 'Left alone, hidden away, denied dignity even in death.' She said she first heard confirmation that the body found at Delaney's home was her son through a media report. 'Not from a knock on the door or a phone call but from a news article; that moment was indescribably cruel,' she said. Her son's injuries were so severe that she was not allowed to see his face. Denied the right to say goodbye, she said she will never forget holding her son's 'cold hand' while the rest of his body was covered with a body bag. She said Delaney has offered no apology or sign of remorse and put the family through the pain of a trial in which they had to relive her son's final hours 'moment by moment'. Mr Knott, she said, was 'far from perfect', but he was deeply loved and a 'free spirit' who dreamed of starting his life over in America. The family attended his cremation on what should have been his 37th birthday. Ms Fitzsimons said she no longer lives, but survives. 'Each day begins with silence and sorrow, and I ask the questions that will never be answered: Did he know he was alone? Did he feel afraid? Did he suffer? These thoughts are with me every day, they do not fade.' Inspector Paul O'Reilly told prosecution counsel Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC that Mr Knott lived a 'transient life' and on April 3rd, 2024 had been detained at Naas Garda station for a robbery offence. He received station bail and went to Delaney's house, where he would stay occasionally. Four days later, Mr Knott's mother reported her son missing. On April 14th, Delaney told his father there was a body in his back garden. He claimed he had defended himself after Mr Knott attacked him with a pair of scissors. Delaney's father alerted gardaí, and they found Mr Knott's body in the back garden in a dog pen wrapped in carpet underlay. A pathologist's report confirmed that he suffered multiple head and brain injuries consistent with a violent and sustained attack with a blunt weapon, such as a hammer. 'The entire left side of his face was crushed', Inspector O'Reilly said. In Garda interviews, Delaney said he and Mr Knott had been drinking and playing chess on the Tuesday evening and fell asleep. The next morning at about 10 o'clock, he claimed Mr Knott 'came at' him with scissors and said: 'I'm going to do what I came here for.' He said he struck Mr Knott in the head with a claw hammer three or four times in self-defence. Inspector O'Reilly said there was no basis for Delaney's claim that a 'high-ranking member of the Kinahan organisation' had sent Mr Knott to kill him. He said there was also no link between the murder of Delaney's brother, Tadhg, and Mr Knott's murder. Inspector O'Reilly said Delaney is originally from Clondalkin and trained as a cabinet maker. He was homeless for a time and had a history of alcohol and substance abuse. He has previous convictions for intoxication in public, common assault and criminal damage. Before passing sentence, Mr Justice Burns said Delaney's accounts of what happened were a 'self-serving fabrication' that a jury had rejected. 'This was not self-defence, but was murder,' the judge said. The killing was 'particularly brutal' and the treatment of Mr Knott's body was 'callous and disrespectful'. The judge said Mr Knott was clearly loved and he expressed his condolences to the family.
Sunday World
12-05-2025
- Sunday World
‘Remorseless' killer who beat friend to death with hammer sentenced to life in prison
Padraig Delaney left Shane Knott's body wrapped in carpet underlay in a dog pen in his back garden A "remorseless" killer beat his friend to death with a hammer and left him wrapped in carpet underlay in a dog pen in his back garden, the Central Criminal Court has heard. When gardai found Shane Knott's body in the back garden of Padraig Delaney's home, the deceased was unrecognisable and had to be identified through his DNA. A jury in Tullamore found Delaney (44) guilty of murder earlier this year, rejecting his claim that he acted in self-defence. Delaney, of The Lane, Eustace Demesne, Naas, Co Kildare had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Shane Knott (37) at Delaney's home between April 3 and April 14, 2024. The trial heard that Delaney's brother, Tadhg Delaney, was murdered in Tallaght in November 2023. Nobody has been charged with his murder, and the investigation is ongoing. Delaney told gardai that he believed the Kinahan crime organisation was involved in his brother's murder and had sent Mr Knott to kill him. Sentencing Delaney (44) to life imprisonment today, Mr Justice Paul Burns described Delaney's claims that he acted in self-defence as a "self-serving fabrication" which was rightly rejected by the jury. Shane Knott In a victim impact statement, the deceased's mother, Catherine Fitzsimons, said her son was subjected to "deliberate and devastating violence at the hands of a man he once called his friend." She said she had twice reported her son missing in April 2023, not knowing he was already dead. He was, she said: "Left alone, hidden away, denied dignity even in death." She said she first heard confirmation that the body found at Delaney's home was her son through a media report. "Not from a knock on the door or a phone call but from a news article; that moment was indescribably cruel," she said. Padraig Delaney. Credit: Tom Tuite News in 90 seconds - 12th May 2025 Her son's injuries were so severe that she was not allowed to see his face. Denied the right to say goodbye, she said she will never forget holding her son's "cold hand" while the rest of his body was covered with a body bag. She said Delaney has offered no apology or sign of remorse and put the family through the pain of a trial in which they had to relive her son's final hours "moment by moment". Mr Knott, she said, was "far from perfect", but he was deeply loved and a "free spirit" who dreamed of starting his life over in America. The family attended his cremation on what should have been his 37th birthday. Padraig Delaney. Credit: Tom Tuite Ms Fitzsimons said she no longer lives, but survives. "Each day begins with silence and sorrow, and I ask the questions that will never be answered: Did he know he was alone? Did he feel afraid? Did he suffer? These thoughts are with me every day, they do not fade." Inspector Paul O'Reilly told prosecution counsel Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC that Mr Knott lived a "transient life" and on April 3, 2024 had been detained at Naas Garda Station for a robbery offence. He received station bail and went to Delaney's house, where he would stay occasionally. Four days later, Mr Knott's mother reported her son missing. On April 14th, Delaney told his father that there was a body in his back garden. He claimed he had defended himself after Mr Knott attacked him with a pair of scissors. Delaney's father alerted gardai, and they found Mr Knott's body in the back garden in a dog pen wrapped in carpet underlay. A pathologist's report confirmed that he suffered multiple head and brain injuries consistent with a violent and sustained attack with a blunt weapon, such as a hammer. "The entire left side of his face was crushed", Inspector O'Reilly said. In garda interviews, Delaney said he and Mr Knott had been drinking and playing chess on the Tuesday evening and fell asleep. The next morning at about 10 o'clock, he claimed Mr Knott "came at" him with scissors and said: "I'm going to do what I came here for." He said he struck Mr Knott in the head with a claw hammer three or four times in self-defence. Inspector O'Reilly said there was no basis for Delaney's claim that a "high-ranking member of the Kinahan organisation" had sent Mr Knott to kill him. He said there was also no link between the murder of Delaney's brother, Tadhg, and Mr Knott's murder. Shane Knott. Image from family Inspector O'Reilly said Delaney is originally from Clondalkin and trained as a cabinet maker. He was homeless for a time and had a history of alcohol and substance abuse. He has previous convictions for intoxication in public, common assault and criminal damage. Before passing sentence, Mr Justice Burns said Delaney's accounts of what happened were a "self-serving fabrication" that a jury had rejected. "This was not self-defence, but was murder," the judge said. The killing was "particularly brutal" and the treatment of Mr Knott's body was "callous and disrespectful". The judge said Mr Knott was clearly loved and he expressed his condolences to the family.
BreakingNews.ie
12-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Remorseless killer beat friend to death and left his body in a dog pen
A "remorseless" killer beat his friend to death with a hammer and left him wrapped in carpet underlay in a dog pen in his back garden, the Central Criminal Court has heard. When gardaí found Shane Knott's body in the back garden of Padraig Delaney's home, the deceased was unrecognisable and had to be identified through his DNA. Advertisement A jury in Tullamore found Delaney (44) guilty of murder earlier this year, rejecting his claim that he acted in self-defence. Delaney, of The Lane, Eustace Demesne, Naas, Co Kildare had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Shane Knott (37) at Delaney's home between April 3rd and April 14th, 2024. The trial heard that Delaney's brother, Tadhg Delaney, was murdered in Tallaght in November 2023. Nobody has been charged with his murder, and the investigation is ongoing. Delaney told gardaí that he believed the Kinahan crime organisation was involved in his brother's murder and had sent Mr Knott to kill him. Advertisement Sentencing Delaney (44) to life imprisonment on Monday, Mr Justice Paul Burns described Delaney's claims that he acted in self-defence as a "self-serving fabrication" which was rightly rejected by the jury. In a victim impact statement, the deceased's mother, Catherine Fitzsimons, said her son was subjected to "deliberate and devastating violence at the hands of a man he once called his friend." She said she had twice reported her son missing in April 2023, not knowing he was already dead. He was, she said: "Left alone, hidden away, denied dignity even in death." She said she first heard confirmation that the body found at Delaney's home was her son through a media report. "Not from a knock on the door or a phone call but from a news article; that moment was indescribably cruel," she said. Advertisement Her son's injuries were so severe that she was not allowed to see his face. Denied the right to say goodbye, she said she will never forget holding her son's "cold hand" while the rest of his body was covered with a body bag. She said Delaney has offered no apology or sign of remorse and put the family through the pain of a trial in which they had to relive her son's final hours "moment by moment". Mr Knott, she said, was "far from perfect", but he was deeply loved and a "free spirit" who dreamed of starting his life over in America. The family attended his cremation on what should have been his 37th birthday. Ms Fitzsimons said she no longer lives, but survives. "Each day begins with silence and sorrow, and I ask the questions that will never be answered: Did he know he was alone? Did he feel afraid? Did he suffer? These thoughts are with me every day, they do not fade." Advertisement Father-of-three Shane Knott (37). Photo: Tom Tuite Inspector Paul O'Reilly told prosecution counsel Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC that Mr Knott lived a "transient life" and on April 3rd, 2024 had been detained at Naas Garda Station for a robbery offence. He received station bail and went to Delaney's house, where he would stay occasionally. Four days later, Mr Knott's mother reported her son missing. On April 14th, Delaney told his father that there was a body in his back garden. He claimed he had defended himself after Mr Knott attacked him with a pair of scissors. Delaney's father alerted gardaí, and they found Mr Knott's body in the back garden in a dog pen wrapped in carpet underlay. A pathologist's report confirmed that he suffered multiple head and brain injuries consistent with a violent and sustained attack with a blunt weapon, such as a hammer. "The entire left side of his face was crushed", Inspector O'Reilly said. Advertisement In garda interviews, Delaney said he and Mr Knott had been drinking and playing chess on the Tuesday evening and fell asleep. The next morning at about 10 o'clock, he claimed Mr Knott "came at" him with scissors and said: "I'm going to do what I came here for." He said he struck Mr Knott in the head with a claw hammer three or four times in self-defence. Inspector O'Reilly said there was no basis for Delaney's claim that a "high-ranking member of the Kinahan organisation" had sent Mr Knott to kill him. He said there was also no link between the murder of Delaney's brother, Tadhg, and Mr Knott's murder. World Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan denies harass... Read More Inspector O'Reilly said Delaney is originally from Clondalkin and trained as a cabinet maker. He was homeless for a time and had a history of alcohol and substance abuse. He has previous convictions for intoxication in public, common assault and criminal damage. Before passing sentence, Mr Justice Burns said Delaney's accounts of what happened were a "self-serving fabrication" that a jury had rejected. "This was not self-defence, but was murder," the judge said. The killing was "particularly brutal" and the treatment of Mr Knott's body was "callous and disrespectful". The judge said Mr Knott was clearly loved and he expressed his condolences to the family.
