Protestors ejected from Castlebar court

UNRULY scenes followed a district court judge's decision today (Wednesday) to rise from the bench after complaining that a prominent member of Integrity Ireland was using the court as 'a soapbox'.

Amid shouts, a number of protestors were ejected by gardaí from Castlebar District Court. There were no arrests.

Earlier, two Mayo-based Integrity Ireland activists, Colm Granaghan and Stephen Manning, appeared before Judge Mary Devins on charges of breaching Section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act at a district court sitting in Castlebar earlier this year, where Judge Kevin Kilraine was presiding.

Mr. Granaghan, who represented himself, told Judge Devins he wished to subpoena two named persons, one of them Garda Supt. Joe McKenna, as witnesses in the case.

The judge put the matter back until June 15 for mention to fix a date for hearing before a different judge. She said the application for summonses would be heard by a different judge.

After Mr. Vincent Deane, State Solicitor for Mayo, told the court he expected to call 11 witnesses for the prosecution, Mr. Granaghan said he would be calling in the region of 30 witnesses and he would be asking the court as well to forward him the ID numbers of all the guards who were present in the court on that day.

Judge Devins said it appeared a special court, lasting several days, would be required.

After the second defendant, Mr. Manning, engaged in repeated verbal exchanges with the judge, she maintained he was 'continuing to barrack her' but he replied he was 'speaking clearly, articulately and respectfully'.

After stating she would not give Mr. Manning 'a soapbox', she rose from the bench, adjourning all matters for a fortnight to fix a date for hearing in front of another judge.