A senior inter-county hurler who was involved in a Halloween street fight was yesterday ordered to pay €1,000 to the Garda Benevolent Fund.
Barry Whelehan (27) from Birr, Co Offaly, pleaded guilty at Birr District Court to engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour in Birr on November 1st last year.
A separate charge of assault was withdrawn by the State at the outset of the case.
The court was told that the defendant, a member of the Offaly senior hurling squad and of the All Ireland-winning Birr senior hurling team, was seen fighting with another man on the street shortly before 2 a.m.
He had no previous convictions and had gone to the Garda station in Birr on two occasions since to apologise for his behaviour. He was a man of exemplary conduct over the years and had contributed in an enormous way to the sporting life of Birr, the court was told. He had brought two references to court, one from a doctor and one from an official of the GAA Offaly County Board. He was working as a barman in a pub owned by his family.
A sum of €400 had been brought to court by the defendant to contribute to the poor box. The court was told that he intended to travel once he had retired from inter-county hurling, but a conviction could jeopardise visa applications.
Judge Gerard Haughton said he would deal with the case under the Probation Act - meaning no conviction will be recorded - if Whelehan paid €1,000 to the Garda Benevolent Fund, "because the gardaí have taken the brunt of this type of loutish behaviour on the streets and on occasion are injured by it".