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Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man who sexually assaulted five women at Irish pilgrimage site jailed
A worker at the Lough Derg pilgrimage site who duped unsuspecting women into helping him at the retreat so he could sexually assault them has been jailed for a total of four years. Cunning Tomas Gallagher preyed on five female victims by asking them to help him repair washing machines and tumble dryers during a series of terrifying incidents at the renowned religious setting. But instead of helping the workman, the innocent women found themselves being sexually assaulted after the 42-year-old preyed on the unsuspecting women. Details of the plans hatched by Gallagher were outlined before Letterkenny Circuit Court last week. Gallagher had pleaded guilty to seven charges in all, four for sexual assaults of adults, two for sexual assault on children and one charge of invitation to a child to sexually touch. And today, having considered reports on Gallagher as well as the statements from his victims, Judge John Aylmer jailed the father-of-one for five years with the last 12 months suspended. He said the crimes, as outlined in the case, were "egregious acts of violence in a sacred place of pilgrimage." He told Gallagher that his crimes were 'deceitful' and 'premeditated' and that he placed them in the mid-range for such offences and which merited a sentence of seven years before mitigation. In mitigation he noted an early plea, the fact that the accused had no previous convictions, that he appeared to be remorseful and ashamed of his actions. Judge Aylmer also noted that Gallagher had undertaken 24 counselling sessions, that he was fully cooperative and that he had been ostracised in the local community. Taking the totality factor into account and that all sentences will run concurrently, Judge Aylmer said he was reducing the overall sentence to one of five years. He then added that with regard to all efforts to encourage rehabilitation and the fact that it needs to be encouraged, he suspended the final 12 months of that sentence meaning Gallagher will serve four years in prison. He is also to go under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months. Gallagher, from Rathanlacky, Dunkineely pleaded to a total of seven charges against five different women at the holy island on the shores of Lough Derg. He pleaded to six charges of sexual assault at St Patrick's Purgatory. These offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. He also pleaded that in the same period and location, he did attempt, by inviting, inducing, counselling or inciting a child to sexual touching. This offence is contrary to Section 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017. The victims, who cannot be named to protect their identity, ranged in age from their early teens to more mature women in their later years. All of the offences took place in 2022, when Gallagher worked both as a maintenance man at the retreat, as well as driving a boat taking pilgrims to and from the island. Barrister for the state, Ms Fiona Crawford, BL and investigating Garda Joanna Doherty outlined the details of the incidents. Statements given to Gardai by the victims told how Gallagher had approached them, asking them to come into a laundry room as he needed help fixing various machines. The statements outlined how the unsuspecting women were asked to reach behind them into the machines while Gallagher fixed a "pipe." The women thought they were holding a pipe but instead they were gripping the accused man's penis. On one occasion, Gallagher told one of his victims to twist the pipe like she was "revving a motorcycle." Gallagher told another victim that the "pipe" would be soft and moist. An older victim was approached by Gallagher, who asked her to reach behind a dishwasher and hold a pipe but she "knew immediately it was no pipe" as it was warm and soft and felt like a penis. The woman couldn't see it but the shocked woman jumped back and shouted "what the f*** is that?" The woman didn't tell anybody else about the incident that day but felt upset and did later tell her daughter about what had happened. On another occasion, Gallagher asked a young teenage girl to help him with a washing machine and asked her to hold a "pipe". She grabbed the "pipe" and he told her to "hold it there" as he chatted to her about school. However, the girl told how the pipe didn't feel like plastic but was warm and had a rubbery texture and that it felt sticky or sweaty. Another teenager told in her statement how Gallagher asked him to assist her with a tumble dryer and told her to put her hand behind a wooden board and he got her to hold something. He told the girl to hold the "pipe" harder and then to loosen it and then to increase her grip before he said "yeah, that's fine." The young woman then said the pipe was "squishy, wet and warm" and when she stood up she saw Gallagher's penis sticking out from the zipper of his trousers. One young woman eventually came forward and told a person in charge what had happened which led to others coming forward making complaints of a similar nature against Gallagher. Gallagher was interviewed by Gardai on three occasions and initially denied anything untoward had happened. During one interview with Detective Garda Paul McHugh, Gallagher admitted asking one woman to hold a pipe on a tumble dryer as it had been leaking. He claimed the woman had got up and left for no apparent reason and he had been left nervous and embarrassed by the incident. However, he later admitted the offences and entered a guilty plea. Victim impact statements from the women were read out in court while two young women chose to read out their own statements. One young woman fought back tears as she told how despite being the victim she felt ashamed and disgusted by what had happened and often thinks about if she could have stopped this from happening to other women. She added that she often thinks about Gallagher's son and that she prays that he is safe. An older victim said she feels vulnerable and intimidated by what had happened and that she is sorry that she did not speak up sooner but was afraid that people would laugh at her or not believe her. Another victim told how she was a student but failed her exams because she became depressed after Gallagher's assault on her. However, she later completed her exams and was proud of herself and was determined not to allow her attacker to ruin her life further but still feels he stole something from her. A teenage victim said she has been forced to attend counselling because of anxiety and that she is now always on edge and simply cannot trust men. She decided not to come to court as she feared that seeing Gallagher again would trigger her anxiety. Another woman, who now lives abroad and gave her evidence by videolink, told how she lives in an apartment with a lift and if a man gets into the lift she can't stop thinking "what if?" She said she realises that she should not tar all men with the same brush but Gallagher's attack had made her an angrier, wearier and a meaner person as a result. She added that she does feel disgusted by what had happened but sometimes feels glad that he had chosen her and that she had alerted the authorities to what was happening as she hated to think what number of victims there might have been. Gallagher took to the witness stand and said he wanted to apologise to his victims. He said he "truly regretted" his actions and was sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims and their families. Asked by his barrister, Mr Colm Smyth, SC, if he realised this was a huge breach of trust, Gallagher replied that he did. He also revealed that he had engaged in 24 counselling sessions to better understand the impact his actions have had on others. Mr Smyth said his client accepted full responsibility for his actions, that he had now lost his employment and had become a pariah in the local community because of the publicity surrounding the case. He added the fact that the offences took place in a sacred place, a place of pilgrimage for Christian people going back many centuries, also had to be acknowledged. Mr Smyth suggested to Judge John Aylmer that there also has to be "light at the end of the tunnel" for Gallagher, asking him to consider his client's remorse, his blameless life up until now and his guilty plea.
The Journal
2 days ago
- General
- The Journal
Man who sexually assaulted five women at Lough Derg pilgrimage site jailed for four years
A WORKER AT the Lough Derg pilgrimage site, who lured five women into helping him at the retreat so he could sexually assault them, has been jailed for a total of four years. Tomas Gallagher asked the five female victims to help him repair washing machines and tumble dryers during a series of incidents at the renowned religious setting. A court heard he sexually assaulted the women at the site. Details of the plans hatched by Gallagher were outlined before Letterkenny Circuit Court last week. Gallagher, 42, initially denied the charges in interviews with gardaí. He subsequently pleaded to seven charges in all, four for sexual assaults of adults, two for sexual assault on children and one charge of invitation to a child to sexually touch. Today, having considered reports on Gallagher as well as the statements from his victims, Judge John Aylmer jailed the father-of-one for five years with the last 12 months suspended. He said the crimes, as outlined in the case, were 'egregious acts of violence in a sacred place of pilgrimage'. He told Gallagher that his crimes were 'deceitful' and 'premeditated' and that he placed them in the mid-range for such offences and which merited a sentence of seven years before mitigation. In mitigation, he noted an early plea, the fact that the accused had no previous convictions, that he appeared to be remorseful and ashamed of his actions. Judge Aylmer also noted that Gallagher had undertaken 24 counselling sessions, that he was fully cooperative and that he had been ostracised in the local community. Taking the totality factor into account and that all sentences will run concurrently, Judge Aylmer said he was reducing the overall sentence to one of five years. He then added that with regard to all efforts to encourage rehabilitation and the fact that it needs to be encouraged, he suspended the final twelve months of that sentence, meaning Gallagher will serve four years in prison. He is also to go under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months. Gallagher, from Rathanlacky, Dunkineely pleaded to a total of seven charges against five different women at the holy island on the shores of Lough Derg. He pleaded to six charges of sexual assault at St Patrick's Purgatory. These offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. He also pleaded that in the same period and location, he did attempt, by inviting, inducing, counselling or inciting a child to sexual touching. This offence is contrary to Section 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017. The victims, who cannot be named to protect their identity, ranged in age from their early teens to more mature women in their later years. All the offences took place in 2022 when Gallagher worked both as a maintenance man at the retreat, as well as driving a boat taking pilgrims to and from the island. Lured victims by asking for help Barrister for the state, Ms Fiona Crawford, BL and investigating Garda Joanna Doherty outlined the details of the incidents. Statements given to gardaí by the victims told how Gallagher had approached them, asking them to come into a laundry room as he needed help fixing various machines. The statements outlined how the unsuspecting women were asked to reach behind them into the machines while Gallagher fixed a 'pipe'. The women thought they were holding a pipe, but instead they were gripping the accused man's penis. On one occasion, Gallagher told one of his victims to twist the pipe like she was 'revving a motorcycle'. Gallagher told another victim that the 'pipe' would be soft and moist. Advertisement An older victim was approached by Gallagher who asked her to reach behind a dishwasher and hold a pipe, but she 'knew immediately it was no pipe' as it was warm and soft and felt like a penis. The woman couldn't see it, but the shocked woman jumped back and shouted: 'What the fuck is that?' The woman didn't tell anybody else about the incident that day but felt upset and did later tell her daughter about what had happened. On another occasion, Gallagher asked a young teenage girl to help him with a washing machine and asked her to hold a 'pipe'. She grabbed his penis and he told her to 'hold it there' as he chatted to her about school. The girl said how the pipe didn't feel like plastic but was warm and had a rubbery texture, and that it felt sticky or sweaty. Another teenager said Gallagher asked him to assist her with a tumble dryer and told her to put her hand behind a wooden board, and he got her to hold something. He told the girl to hold the 'pipe' harder and then to loosen it and then to increase her grip before he said: 'Yeah, that's fine.' The young woman said the pipe was 'squishy, wet and warm' and when she stood up she saw Gallagher's penis sticking out from the zip of his trousers. Denied accusations with gardaí One young woman eventually came forward and told a person in charge what had happened, which led to others coming forward making complaints of a similar nature against the man. Gallagher was interviewed by gardaí on three occasions and initially denied anything had happened. During one interview with Detective Garda Paul McHugh, Gallagher admitted asking one woman to hold a pipe on a tumble dryer as it had been leaking. He claimed the woman had got up and left for no apparent reason, and he had been left nervous and embarrassed by the incident. He later admitted the offences and entered a guilty plea. Victim impact statements from the women were read out in court, while two young women chose to read out their own statements. Victims feel vulnerable and intimidated One young woman fought back tears as she told how despite being the victim, she felt ashamed and disgusted by what had happened and often thinks about if she could have stopped this from happening to other women. She added that she often thinks about Gallagher's son and that she prays that he is safe. An older victim said she feels vulnerable and intimidated by what had happened and that she is sorry that she did not speak up sooner, but was afraid that people would laugh at her or not believe her. Another victim told how she was a student but failed her exams because she became depressed after Gallagher's assault on her. She later completed her exams and was proud of herself and was determined not to allow her attacker to ruin her life further. She said she still feels he stole something from her. A teenage victim said she has been forced to attend counselling because of anxiety and that she is now always on edge and simply cannot trust men. She decided not to come to court, as she feared that seeing Gallagher again would trigger her anxiety. Another woman, who now lives abroad and gave her evidence by video link, said she lives in an apartment with a lift and if a man gets into the lift she can't stop thinking 'what if?' She said she realises that she should not tar all men with the same brush, but Gallagher's attack had made her an angrier, wearier and a meaner person as a result. She added that she does feel disgusted by what had happened but sometimes feels glad that he had chosen her and that she had alerted the authorities to what was happening as she hated to think what number of victims there might have been. Man apologises Gallagher took to the witness stand and said he wanted to apologise to his victims. He said he 'truly regretted' his actions and was sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims and their families. Asked by his barrister, Mr Colm Smyth, SC, if he realised this was a huge breach of trust, Gallagher replied that he did. He said he had engaged in 24 counselling sessions to better understand the impact his actions have had on others. Mr Smyth said his client accepted full responsibility for his actions, that he had now lost his employment and had become a pariah in the local community because of the publicity surrounding the case. He added the fact that the offences took place in a sacred place, a place of pilgrimage for Christian people going back many centuries, also had to be acknowledged. Mr Smyth suggested to Judge John Aylmer that there also has to be 'light at the end of the tunnel' for Gallagher, asking him to consider his client's remorse, his blameless life up until now and his guilty plea. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (69) jailed for engaging in a sexual act with his daughter who has an intellectual disability
A man who 'betrayed' his adult daughter, who has an intellectual disability, by engaging in a sexual act with her, has been jailed for eight years. The 69-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two counts at the Central Criminal Court of engaging in a sexual act with a protected person in Leinster on February 7th 2023. Advertisement He has no previous convictions. The woman has a moderate intellectual disability. She now lives in a residential care setting. Passing sentence on Tuesday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said this is a very serious offence with a maximum sentence of life in prison. He said, 'As a father, he betrayed her.' Advertisement Mr Justice McDermott said, 'These offences were committed by her father – he could do whatever he liked.' Mr Justice McDermott sentenced the defendant to nine years in prison but suspended the final year for a period of two years. He also placed the man under the supervision of the Probation Services for five years and directed him to undertake any courses they deem appropriate. The judge said that the man is to have no contact with his daughter without her consent and only then under very strict supervision. Advertisement Finally, he backdated the sentence to when the defendant went into custody. At a previous hearing, an investigating garda told the court the injured party is in her mid-30s and has moderate intellectual disability. The court heard the woman was given a course on sexuality, and she disclosed during that meeting that she had never shared a bed with a man before, except with her father, who had not worn a condom. Specialist garda interviewers spoke to the victim, and she was moved into residential care after the abuse was disclosed. Advertisement The investigating garda agreed with Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC, defending, that a trial date was fixed for March this year, but a guilty plea had been entered, saving the woman from having to give evidence in front of a jury. The garda also accepted that the man had no previous convictions and that his wife had passed away a number of years ago, meaning he became his daughter's main carer. A social worker gave evidence that the woman has good independent skills and is a kind and caring person who masks her emotions. She told Mr Vincent Heneghan, SC, prosecuting, that the injured party had not availed of any counselling, and the abuse continues to affect her daily life. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help.
BreakingNews.ie
16-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Thief who faked her own death faces risk assessment by probation services
A judge has directed the Probation Services to carry out a risk assessment on a woman who faked her own death to avoid going to court to face theft and deception charges. Amy McAuley (35), of Connagh, Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford, previously pleaded guilty to one count of the use of a false instrument through submitting a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19th, 2023. Advertisement She also pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice on January 23rd, 2023 and to a count of forgery of a medical report on November 23rd, 2022, both at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street. McAuley also pleaded to a second count of using a false instrument, a medical certificate, at Pearse Street Garda Station on May 28th, 2021, and attempted deception in 2018. She further entered guilty pleas to five counts of theft and one of possession of the proceeds of crime on separate dates between November 2015 and May 2023. McAuley has four previous convictions for theft and deception offences. She received a sentence of two years, suspended for 10 years in November 2015 for the theft of just under €111,000 from a former employer. She repaid €30,000 on the day of sentence but the balance is outstanding, the court has heard. Advertisement McAuley admitted submitting a false death notification form to obtain a death certificate. She told gardaí when interviewed in 2023 that she knew she was in trouble again, could not face coming to court and did not want to leave her young child. Amy McAuley received a suspended sentence in 2015 for the theft of thousands of euro from a former employer. Photo: Collins On Friday, Judge Orla Crowe said this was a 'complex case' and the court would welcome the assistance of the Probation Services, particularly to assess the defendant's risk of re-offending. The judge directed the preparation of a probation report and adjourned the case to October for finalisation. Defence counsel, Rebecca Smith BL, noted her client is now living in Dublin and asked the court to change the garda station where her client must sign on two days a week from New Ross to Blanchardstown. Advertisement Judge Crowe granted the application and remanded McAuley on continuing bail. The court previously heard evidence that McAuley obtained a €10,000 personal loan from KBC Bank in 2018 using altered documents she had taken from her then employer. That year, McAuley also made a second unsuccessful application for a €5,000 loan using altered identification documents in the name of a woman she had been giving piano lessons to in Co. Meath. McAuley made admissions, apologised and accepted she had not repaid any of the €10,000 loan after her arrest in May 2019. She was charged and sent forward for trial before the Circuit Criminal Court on theft and fraud charges. Advertisement Gardaí contacted McAuley in May 2021 to interview her as part of a separate investigation into the theft of nine mobile phones from Three Ireland in July 2020. McAuley told gardaí in late May 2021 that she was unwell and provided a medical report, which was later found to be forged. In December 2021, gardaí were contacted by a woman claiming to be McAuley's sister who said the defendant was in treatment and would contact them afterwards. The following May, 'Winnie', who also claimed to be a sister of McAuley's, told gardaí that the defendant had passed away. McAuley made both of these calls. Advertisement McAuley also submitted a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19th, 2023, with death certificates later issued in McAuley's name and her name in Irish. The court heard that McAuley had been due to stand trial in January 2023 on the theft and fraud offences relating to the 2018 incidents, but this did not go ahead as it was believed she was dead. Evidence was also heard that a medical report from the Rotunda Hospital handed to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in November 2022 was a forgery. McAuley, pretending to be 'Winnie', rang gardaí in May 2023 to get an email address to send a death certificate to and gave her telephone number. Later, a female solicitor contacted gardaí and provided the same number. Both calls were made by McAuley, the court heard. A death certificate was later emailed to gardaí by a firm of solicitors, who were unaware of McAuley's deception. During their investigation, gardaí discovered three death notices for McAuley on The first stated that McAuley had died in France, and was removed after her mother told the site the defendant was not dead. A second notice was uploaded to the site on January 4th, 2023, by a fictional undertaker, created by McAuley. This notice stated that McAuley had died on December 26th, 2022, and included details of a funeral and cremation, with gardaí confirming no records existed that these had taken place. A third death notice appeared in McAuley's Irish name, saying she had died in Belfast. Gardaí contacted the general registry in June 2023 and obtained two death certificates for McAuley, one of which used her Irish name. Doctors confirmed they had not signed the death notification forms, which had been used to obtain these death certificates. When interviewed by gardaí on separate occasions, McAuley admitted wrongdoing. She told gardaí she knew she was in trouble again, and believed everything would be okay if she was deceased because she could be with her young child. She also said she could not face going to court. The court heard that gardaí became aware that McAuley was due to attend a wedding in Enniscorthy in June 2023, and identified her from CCTV footage at the venue. Gardaí carried out a search of McAuley's home in Co Wexford on June 24th, 2023. She was living there with her husband, who was unaware of her activities, and her young child. A booklet of death notification forms were found during the search along with banking information and identification for 'Winnie' . McAuley admitted ordering the nine phones from Three Ireland in 2020 and sending a false medical certificate to gardaí in 2021. She also confirmed a mobile phone number used during these incidents was hers. A payment of €9,000 to an AIB account in McAuley's name was also identified during the garda investigation. In January 2023, a Northern Irish company that McAuley had been working for was told she had died the previous month. The company contacted 'Charles' by email, who was listed on McAuley's employee records as her father, and he confirmed McAuley's death. While a claim for the company's death-in-service benefit of €96,000 was pending, 'Winnie' contacted them in May 2023. 'Winnie' said she was minding McAuley's infant child and needed money from the death-in-service benefit upfront to cover surgery costs for the child. The company made a goodwill payment of €9,000 on May 15th, 2023 into McAuley's AIB account. This has not been repaid, the court was told Investigating gardaí agreed with Rebecca Smith BL, defending, that her client's guilty pleas were valuable to the prosecution, that she has not come to recent negative garda attention and complied with bail conditions. It was accepted that when gardaí arrived to search her home in June 2023, she told them she knew why they were there and that her husband was not involved. It was further accepted that McAuley acted alone, and there were no indications she had been living a lavish lifestyle. Ms Smith told the court this was an 'extraordinarily complex case' in which her client had engaged in a 'significant period of offending'. She said McAuley had been living a 'crazy, chaotic existence' but this has now stabilised. Counsel said her client is apologetic, aware that 'her past is catching up to her' and accepts she is facing a custodial sentence. McAuley married in 2022 and has a young child, who has health issues. Letters of apology, medical reports and other documents were handed to the court. McAuley herself has medical and mental health difficulties. Ms Smith submitted to the court her client will have 'no real prospect' of future employment, suggesting that money could be deducted from social welfare payments to repay money owed. The court also heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence imposed on McAuley in 2015 on the grounds of undue leniency. The Court of Appeal declined to change it, instead giving McAuley seven-and-a-half years to repay the money, but no further payments have been made. The court was told McAuley was working as an assistant accountant in 2015 when a colleague saw a media report about her conviction. When asked about this, McAuley confirmed it was her and immediately resigned. An internal investigation identified that McAuley had given her account details to some clients when her then-employer introduced a new electronic payments system. Affected clients believed they were making payments to the company. One affected client made electronic transfers of approximately €49,100 to her account, to pay invoices owed to McAuley's employer. This money has never been repaid to her then-employer, the court was told. Ireland Trial hears woman faked her own death as she could... Read More A Tipperary co-op also paid around €6,500 to McAuley's account and she later forwarded on two payments totalling €6,550 to her then employer. McAuley also stole nine mobile phones, worth €3,199, from Three Ireland in July 2020, which were ordered online using were ordered online using false documents which claimed that the company's chief financial officer had placed the order. When interviewed, McAuley said she used the money from the theft of the phones to cover rent and medication. McAuley told gardaí she had moved to Galway to run away from her troubles, but her life spiralled out of control.
Irish Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Woman who smashed bottle over partner's head 'pushed too far' by his drinking
A woman who smashed a bottle over the head of her partner allegedly simply had enough of his drinking, a court was told. A solicitor representing Donegal woman Fiona McInerney told Letterkenny District Court that she attacked her former partner after she was "pushed to her wits' end". Ms McInerney appeared at Letterkenny District Court after smashing a glass bottle over the man's head after a verbal altercation on March 5, 2023. The court was told that the injured party suffered cuts to his head and shoulder following the attack at Robinson Hall, Port Road, Letterkenny. The accused, who was present in court, has no previous convictions. The woman's solicitor, Mr Frank Murphy, said it was a case that the woman had simply "been pushed too far" and that she was otherwise of good character. He said that on the night in question, the victim had again consumed a large quantity of alcohol. "She (Ms McInerney) was simply pushed too far. She was at her wits' end and had lost it and struck him with a bottle," said Mr Murphy. Ms McInerney, aged 40, was charged with a Section 3 assault of the injured party. A further charge of Production of Article under Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act was struck out. The court was told that the couple were no longer in a relationship and were living at separate locations. Judge Eiteain Cunningham said she would have to canvass for a victim impact statement but said she did not think there was a need for a report from the Probation Services. She adjourned the case until May 15 next to see if there is a victim impact statement and to finalise sentencing on the basis of a guilty plea as admitted in evidence by Mr Murphy on his client's behalf. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
