Forecaster gets driving ban

RTÉ weather presenter Ms Evelyn Cusack has been convicted of drink-driving after she was found to have driven with more than double the legal alcohol limit in her system.

The Met Éireann forecaster was banned from driving for two years and was given a €450 fine by Ms Justice Claire Leonard at Dún Laoghaire District Court yesterday.

Ms Cusack, Myrtle Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, was stopped by gardaí for being in "improper control" of her vehicle at Booterstown Avenue, Co Dublin, shortly after midnight on May 9th.

She accompanied gardaí to Dún Laoghaire Garda station, where she was breathalysed and found to have 74mg of alcohol in her system.

The legal limit on the "intoxiliser" breath test is 35mg.

Ms Cusack was in court yesterday but did not enter the witness box, having pleaded guilty through her solicitor, Mr Ronnie Lynam.

Mr Lynam said his client was of good character and had no previous convictions but was "most anxious to accept wrong doing" in the matter. She fully acknowledged the authority of the court and the charge of drink driving, he said.

"She deeply regrets the offence before the court and very much apologises for what happened." Neither Mr Lynam or Ms Cusack made any comment following the conviction and mandatory ban.

Ms Cusack earned large public support in 1999 when RTÉ attempted to replace her and other longtime Met Éireann forecasters with younger presenters.

She and other veteran presenters Mr Gerry Fleming and Dr Aidan Nulty were taken off the air in September 1999, but were reinstated less than three months later following a public outcry.

Mr Joe Mulholland, RTÉ's managing director of television at the time, acknowledged that it had been a mistake to remove the meteorologists.

RTÉ declined to comment yesterday when asked whether Ms Cusack would remain as a presenter with the station.

Ms Cusack left the court through a back entrance and could not be contacted for comment later.