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Sunday World
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- Sport
- Sunday World
DJ Carey poses dilemma for GAA as disgraced star due for All-Ireland final honour
Former Kilkenny hurler pleaded guilty to 10 charges of deception last week after false cancer claim How will GAA handle Croke Park honours for hurling hero DJ Carey after deception case? DJ Carey entered the first All-Ireland final of the new millennium under pressure. Kilkenny's star forward had come in for criticism, as the Cats had lost the previous two deciders. After six minutes of the 2000 final against Offaly, the doubters were silenced as Carey pounced to race clear and score a stunning goal. Kilkenny went on to comfortably win by 5-15 to Offaly's 1-14. Carey won the man of the match award, with a personal best tally of 1-4 for an All-Ireland final, and he was involved in his team's first three goals. In the last decade of the century, the giant hurling triad of Kilkenny, Tipperary and Cork were cut down to size by the emergence of Clare, Offaly and Wexford. But normal service was resumed at the start of a new century as Brian Cody chalked up his first All-Ireland as Kilkenny manager. Cody would go on to win 11 titles over the next decade-and-a-half, becoming the most successful hurling manager of all time. Carey would feature in his first three wins up to his retirement. DJ Carey at the Courts of Criminal Justice in Dublin Kilkenny missed out on the All-Ireland final this year, but the Cats will have a presence on the pitch nonetheless at the Munster Old Firm derby of Cork and Tipperary on Sunday. A traditional part of All-Ireland final day is the presentation of the winners from 25 years ago to the crowd in Croke Park. Last year, it was Jimmy Barry-Murphy's young Rebels from 1999, who beat Kilkenny in Cody's first year as manager. This year, that jubilee team will be the All-Ireland-winning Cats from 2000. No doubt the Tipp and Cork fans on Hill 16 will give them a warm reception, but it also presents a diplomatic dilemma for the GAA. Kilkenny's man of the match 25 years ago, DJ Carey, is now back in the spotlight for altogether different reasons. The former hurling hero has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of defrauding a number of people out of money while pretending that he had cancer. Carey (54) stood in a courtroom dock this month and replied 'guilty' each time as 10 deception charges were read out to him at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Carey is currently on continuing bail for a sentence hearing to take place on October 29, so he is free to move about. However, his appearance on the Croke Park pitch to be feted on All-Ireland final day would raise eyebrows. The GAA was contacted for comment to check on its plans for the Kilkenny jubilee team and whether Carey will be invited to attend. The association now has to decide how to treat his name being prominently on the team sheet of the county being honoured. The jubilee team presentation used to take place at half-time in the match. But the slot has changed now to before the game. The anniversary team marches out onto the pitch behind a member of the Artane Boys Band carrying their county flag. DJ Carey in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final in 20025. Photo: Sportsfile The team captain holds aloft the Liam MacCarthy Cup. And then each player is introduced to the crowd, with a description of their performance on the day and a summary of their career. Last year, Cork's team from 1999 was paraded with RTÉ's The Sunday Game pundit Dónal Óg Cusack probably being the best-known player to younger fans. 'Sa chúl, from Cloyne, the birthplace of Christy Ring, he was beaten only once in his first senior championship campaign and ended the year as the All-Star goalkeeper. A more passionate hurling man you will not find: Dónal Óg Cusack,' the announcer said. When a player can't make it on the day, or has died, his name is still called out and he is applauded. Last year, Cork's corner-back from 1999, Wayne Sherlock, wasn't on the field for the event, because he was a selector with the current squad and was in the Croke Park dressing room preparing the team for the game. The GAA will now have to decide how to handle the calling out of DJ Carey on the Kilkenny team next Sunday. It is highly unlikely he will be in attendance himself. The Kilkenny County Board was unavailable for comment when contacted by the Irish Independent. Carey pleaded guilty on July 3 to dishonestly by deception, inducing victims to make monetary payment to him after he fraudulently claimed to have cancer and needed finances to obtain treatment. The offences happened at unknown locations within the State on dates between 2014 and 2022. The 13 victims named in the case were Owen and Ann Conway, Mark and Sharon Kelly, Denis O'Brien, Aidan Mulligan, Tony Griffin and Christy Browne, Thomas Butler, Jeffrey Howes, Noel Tynan, Edwin Carey and Aonghus Leydon. Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 15th 2025
Sunday World
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Man jailed for arson of two cars and a house while owners were sleeping
Seán Byrne of Cushlawn Way, Tallaght, who was intoxicated and said he couldn't remember the incident, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court A 44-year-old man has been jailed for three years and nine months for the arson of two cars and a house in which the owners were sleeping. Seán Byrne of Cushlawn Way, Tallaght, who was intoxicated and said he couldn't remember the incident, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to damaging the two cars and the house by fire on October 20, 2023. He did not know the owners. The court heard that gardaí were called to a car on fire in a driveway in Tyrconnell, Inchicore at 3.15am on the morning in question. The owner woke to a loud bang, looked out his window and saw his car on fire. A neighbour's CCTV footage showed a man entering and exiting the car and gardaí recognised Byrne from the footage. Judge Orla Crowe was told that Byrne was seen getting into the first car for a few seconds before getting out, and that shortly after that it went on fire. It was unclear how he started the blaze. The other car then caught fire, and the front of house sustained heat damage from the two fires. The court heard that the cars, which belonged to a couple who lived in the house, were both written off. Their house insurance paid out more than €21,000 for heat damage to the front of the property. The court heard that when gardaí came upon Byrne later, he was highly intoxicated and gave a false name. They seized two backpacks and a bicycle that he was seen using in the footage. When he was sober, the gardaí found him pleasant and easy to deal with, and his condition had drastically improved since, the court heard. He has more than 70 previous convictions. Defence barrister, John Griffin BL, said that his client had no recollection of or explanation for the incident, which showed no planning or sophistication. 'It was a matter that went wrong,' he said. 'It could have gone much more wrong.' Counsel said that his client had suffered from drug and alcohol abuse for most of his life and used to steal food from shops and sell it to feed a heroin addiction. He has spent a lot of his life in and out of prison. 'He does very well in prison. He comes out a very fresh, healthy man,' defence counsel said, explaining that Byrne had purposely gone into custody following this offence in order to come clean. 'Thankfully nobody was hurt, be it because the people were alert or thanks to the fire brigade,' he said. Judge Crowe described it as a very unusual case, in which no accelerant was used. She imposed a sentence of four and a half years, but suspended the final nine months for two years, provided Byrne engage with the probation service after his release. stock image Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 15th 2025
Sunday World
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- Entertainment
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Steven Gerrard's daughter Lily welcomes baby with Lee Byrne
Lilly-Ella Gerrard welcomed the birth of their first baby with a post on social media. Lilly-Ella Gerrard and Lee Byrne have welcomed the birth of their first child. Lilly-Ella Gerrard and her boyfriend Lee Byrne, the son of Kinahan gangster Liam Byrne, have welcomed the birth of their first child. The daughter of English football legend Steven Gerrard, Lilly announced she was expecting a baby with her long-time boyfriend Lee in January of this year. The former Liverpool footballer revealed earlier this month that he was 'really excited' about the arrival of his first grandchild. Taking to social media on Tuesday, the 21-year-old announced that the baby had safely arrived by posting a story of her boyfriend Lee holding a baby carrier. She accompanied the picture with the three-word caption of '2 becomes 3.' Photo: Lilly Gerrard/Instagram She also shared pics featuring a spread of candles, flowers, and balloons that welcomed their newborn. The couple have not disclosed the gender of their first born. The new mum recently shared a mirror selfie with Lee, captioning the post, which shows the pair in an embrace as the 21-year-old shows off her growing baby bump, 'My love'. In another picture, she gave her followers a glimpse of home life as Lee sat on a plush white sofa surrounded by her three toy poodle pups, Barnie, Blondie, and Bobby. The new parents have been dating for over two years and regularly spend time with Gerrard's family in Bahrain, where they are based. Photo: Lilly Gerrard/Instagram Lee Byrne, Lilly Gerrard, and Steven Gerrard have no involvement in any crime. Lee's father, Liam, was arrested in Mallorca and extradited to the UK in December 2023 on conspiracy charges relating to a gun plot. In October, he was sentenced to five years behind bars at the Old Bailey in London after pleading guilty. The Crumlin native, who was in custody since he was arrested in Spain in June 2023, was released in January. Reacting to the news at the time, his son Lee shared his delight at the prospect of his dad's release, posting: 'Get in there' and 'I love you da'. He added 'see u sooooonnnnn!!!!' to the social media post, alongside black sunglasses emojis. Also reacting to the news, Lily shared a snap of herself and Lee with the caption: 'So happy for my Lee, Love you so, so much always.' Lilly-Ella Gerrard and Lee Byrne have welcomed the birth of their first child. Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 15th 2025 As part of his conditions, Liam Byrne is only allowed one personal mobile phone and SIM card for the next five years. Byrne was also ordered to register the make, model, colour and serial number of his phone with the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA). He is banned from using encrypted devices, messaging apps and must ensure all his browsing history is visible, as part of the Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) which was served to him. He is allowed to have one laptop and a tablet and can also have a maximum of two business phones at any one time. It comes after Byrne landed himself behind bars for using the encrypted messaging service EncroChat to arrange the gun plot for which he served time.
Sunday World
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- Sunday World
Man who sexually abused eight-year-old cousin 25 years ago fails to have sentence reduced
The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim's anonymity, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at an address in Co Kildare during the summer of 1999 A 41-year-old man who sexually abused his eight-year-old cousin while babysitting her almost 25 years ago has failed to have his one-year jail term reduced on appeal. The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim's anonymity, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at an address in Co Kildare during the summer of 1999. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the maximum sentence at that time for sexual assault was five years. An investigating garda outlined that the man was 15 at the time of his offending, while the injured party was then eight. Four incidents of sexual assault took place in her family home where he was staying for the summer. The teenager was the eldest of the children and viewed as an adult by the victim, who did what he said. In her victim impact statement, the woman said the abuse 'changed the trajectory of my life' and that she had lived with shame and guilt, while he participated actively in family events. She said the man was 'celebrated' by others who were aware of the abuse. 'You are not the only one who should hang their head in shame', she said, describing how another person told her she was 'mistaken', that the defendant was checking on her after she'd had a bad dream and he wouldn't do something like that. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced the man to three years with the final two years suspended on strict conditions at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on March 26, 2025. In dismissing the man's appeal at the Court of Appeal today, Mr Justice John Edwards said he was satisfied that the ultimate sentence imposed was proportionate, the sentencing judge 'generously discounted' for the mitigating factors in the case and the appropriate sentencing principles were applied in the assessment of gravity. He said the judge was 'fully alive' to the fact that the offending happened 25 years previously and the court was not persuaded that the judge failed to follow the correct principles when sentencing an adult for offences committed as a child. Mr Justice Edwards noted the aggravating factors in the case, including the repeated nature of the offending, the breach of trust involved as the appellant was entrusted with babysitting at the time, and the age difference between the parties. The harm was further compounded by the 'secondary traumatisation' of the victim, the judge said, caused by the man's denial when confronted at a family meeting, his blaming of the victim, and his continued refusal to acknowledge or take full responsibility for his actions as he got older. While he apologised to the victim, he never sought to set the record straight with the wider family. The man made only partial admissions when interviewed by gardaí in 2023 and sought to 'minimise' what he had done, Mr Justice Edwards said. He said the court was satisfied that the sentencing judge gave appropriate consideration to the man's plea of guilty, his lack of previous offending, good work record and his family responsibilities. The judge said appropriate allowances were also made for his youth and immaturity at the time the offending occurred. Stock photo Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 15th 2025
Sunday World
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- Sunday World
Woman in court after kicking detective in crotch during search of her home
Jana Milaniakova apologised after being charged, stating 'I was very frightened'. A woman who kicked a detective in the crotch while he was carrying out a search of her home in Co Donegal has appeared in court. Jana Milaniakova appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with assaulting the Garda at her home on January 2nd, 2024. Garda Pauline Doherty gave evidence of the arrest, charge and caution of Milaniakova at Letterkenny Courthouse yesterday. When charged with the offence, the accused woman replied "I apologise for this charge. I was very frightened." Jana Milaniakova leaving Letterkenny District Court. Photo: North West Newspix Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 15th 2025 Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle told the court how the detective had been executing a search warrant at the woman's house when the incident happened. Judge Eiteain Cunningham asked if the detective was injured following the assault. Sergeant Doyle said there was "initial discomfort" but that the detective did not suffer any long term issues. The assault charge is Contrary to Section 3 (1) and 3(2) of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997 (as amended by Section 20 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023). Sergeant Doyle added that the Director of Public Prosecutions had decided the incident can be dealt with by way of summary disposal in the District Court. Ms Milaniakova was also charged with the theft of an engagement ring at the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny on December 29th, 2023. That charge is Contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 The case was adjourned to November 10th for hearing.
