Ennis man receives two-year sentence for robbing former Clare hurler

A 19-year-old Ennis man was yesterday jailed for two years for robbing former Clare hurler Alan Markham of €75.

In Christmas 2013, the Munster senior title winning hurler turned up at Ennis Garda station with his head bloodied and bruised after being struck by a beer glass and a stick.

At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Gerard Keyes jailed Shane McCarthy of Shalee Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis after he pleaded guilty to robbing Mr Markham of €75 on December 21st, 2013, at Coláiste Mhuire school in Ennis.

Judge Keyes said that the sentence could run concurrent with two other robbery offences committed by McCarthy on March 2nd, 2014.

Judge Keyes said: “It is very apparent to this court that the number of cases are increasing where these type of offences occur, and they are going to receive a custodial sentence except where there are exceptional circumstances.”

Prior to the robbing, Mr Markham was struck with a pint glass in an unprovoked attack in Ennis’s Abbey Street car park. Mr Markham and a friend, Seán Hogan, gave chase to McCarthy and two other men following the incident. According to Mr Markham, “the three tuned back on us and started fighting”.

In his Garda statement, Mr Markham said: “I was hit by a stick in the forehead and across my legs a few times. I also got a few boxes from a fella wearing a blue top. I was knocked to the ground and received a number of kicks to my body. I just lay on the ground and covered my head. I am not sure how many of them were kicking me.”

Mr Markham said that the assault stopped and as he got to his feet a demand for money was made. “I handed over €50 and one of them checked my pockets and took out €25.”

Mr Markham, who wasn't in court yesterday, played in the victorious Clare team that beat Waterford in the 1998 Munster final.