A Garda sergeant has referred to the Homelands dance festival held in Mosney, Co Meath as "a good excuse for a rave".
Sgt Brian Morrissey was replying to Judge Raymond Groarke who asked him what a Homelands was.
He was hearing evidence in an appeal at Dundalk Circuit Court yesterday by a teenager convicted of supplying ecstasy at the festival in September 1999.
When the case first came before Drogheda District Court Daniel Burke, Naas, Co Kildare, received a one-month jail term for possessing 24 ecstasy tablets and four months for having them for sale or supply. In court yesterday his barrister appealed against the severity of the sentence. He said the defendant was the youngest of six children and had no previous convictions.
In his case and that of Colm Pentony, Drybridge, Slane Road, Drogheda, who appealed a similar sentence, the judge remanded both defendants in custody until January 19th when he will give his decision.