Five men avoid jail over Dublin pub riot sparked by spilled drink

Five men involved in an argument over a spilled drink a Dublin pub which escalated into a ‘riot’ requiring 20 Garda vehicles have each received three year suspended sentences.

Brian Mongan (30) of Mc Ulliam Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder and assault at the Castle Inn pub in Rathfarnham, Dublin on October 16th, 2012.

Martin Mongan (39) of Mc Ulliam Park, Tallaght and Simon Reilly (28), Anthony Reilly (25) and Patrick Reilly (23) all from Rathbride Demense, Co Kildare also pleaded guilty to violent disorder at the Castle Inn pub on the same date.

The men, who are all related to each other, caused over €26,000 worth of damage after a wedding party in the pub.

Judge Martin Nolan said the men caused "12 minutes of mayhem, violence, aggression and anarchy" after Brian Mongan spilled a drink over his cousin Simon Reilly.

Mongan’s cousin, Patrick, who intervened after Simon Reilly retaliated, was hit in the face with a glass by Brian Mongan, leading others to get involved.

Garda Brian Flynn arrived at the scene after the pub owner called to say there was a ‘riot’ breaking out. Garda Flynn called for backup after seeing 40 to 50 men and women fighting inside and outside the pub.

CCTV footage showed the five men fighting and throwing glasses, chairs, fire extinguishers and other furniture around the pub. The owners and staff hid in the back lounge and cellar of the pub during the incident.

Garda Flynn said the CCTV provided high quality images of each man’s actions.

Andrew Reilly hit a middle-aged female relative with an armchair when he threw it from the balcony.

Patrick Reilly did over €5,000 worth of damage when he threw two fire extinguishers across the pub. They landed on a tiled floor and discharged.

Both men said they were acting in self defence when interviewed by gardaí after turning themselves in.

Martin Mongan went behind the bar to get more glasses from a sink when he had thrown all the items available to him on the bar.

Brian Mongan threw a dozen glasses across the pub before throwing a chair into the crowd. Simon Reilly threw glasses, vases and picture frames.

Judge Nolan said the men appeared otherwise to be of good character and said they acted “grossly reprehensibly”.

He suspended the sentence but ordered the men to pass on the €8,700 they had raised in varying individual amounts to gardaí who will pay it over to the owners of the Castle Inn.

The judge gave the men 12 months to come up with a further collective €5,400 for the pub owners.