logo
Young man and teenager charged over Dublin firebomb attack that destroyed family home

Young man and teenager charged over Dublin firebomb attack that destroyed family home

The Journal20 hours ago
TWO PEOPLE HAVE been charged in connection with the firebomb attack on a family home in Ballyfermot, Dublin last month.
A man in his 20s and a juvenile in his teens were arrested and charged with criminal damage by fire.
Both are due to appear in court tomorrow morning.
The attack targeted the Curran family's residence on Landen Road in the early hours, leaving the house destroyed and their dog killed.
Speaking to reporters after the attack,
resident Pat Curran said that he was asleep in the sitting room when the petrol bomb was thrown through the window
.
He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the incident was like 'waking up in hell'.
'I had a blanket on me and I threw it on the fire and tried to stamp it out. I don't know how I didn't go on fire,' he said.
Pat managed to wake his wife Breda and their son Luke, allowing them to escape before the fire engulfed the house.
Advertisement
A petrol bomb was thrown through the window of the front room on 21 May.
Breda described the traumatic experience of trying to rescue their dog amid intense heat and flames.
'I tried to go back into the sitting room, and Luke was helping me to try and get our dog, because we knew he hadn't come out, so we were calling his name, but the heat wouldn't let us back in,' Breda said.
'When I went as far as the hallway to the sitting room door, the fire was everywhere.'
An emotional Breda told RTÉ's Morning Ireland: 'I said, we can't go in there – we'll die. We tried to call the dog, but it was too late. Then we just heard him whimpering, and we didn't hear anything else after that.
'Then everything just went silent, except for the fire.'
The family had no insurance on the property and have been left to face the costs themselves.
Despite the tragedy, the Currans have praised the support from neighbours and the wider Ballyfermot community, who have offered assistance.
Gardaí continue to investigate the incident, which they believe was a case of mistaken identity.
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Veteran gangland figure Jo Jo Kavanagh dies suddenly at home
Veteran gangland figure Jo Jo Kavanagh dies suddenly at home

Sunday World

time3 hours ago

  • Sunday World

Veteran gangland figure Jo Jo Kavanagh dies suddenly at home

A former member of the gang led by Martin 'The General' Cahill, he was an uncle of jailed Kinahan Cartel man Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh Veteran gangland figure Jo Jo Kavanagh has died after being treated for an illness in a Dublin hospital. A former member of the gang led by Martin 'The General' Cahill, he was an uncle of jailed Kinahan Cartel man Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh. He was also an uncle to murdered gangsters Gerard 'Hatchet' Kavanagh (pictured below) and Paul Kavanagh, believed to have been killed on the orders of the Kinahans. A notice posted online said that Kavanagh had died suddenly at home on July 2. It stated the funeral was private for family and close friends. Kavanagh, from Crumlin, became notorious after his role in the infamous tiger-kidnap of bank director Jim Lacey by The General's gang. Gerard Kavanagh Armed and masked men took Lacey and members of his family hostage after invading his Blackrock home in November 1993. Threatened with being shot, the banker's wife Suzanne, children and a babysitter were held as Mr Lacey was forced to carry out the gang's orders. Jo Jo Kavanagh turned up at the house and changed into one of the victim's suits and told him that he was also a hostage. Jo Jo Kavanagh was an uncle of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 6th His job was to accompany the bank director to the branch at College Green the next morning and to take the available cash. It later emerged there was an estimated €7 to €8 million in the vaults of the National Irish Bank branch. Fearing being trapped in the vaults if the Gardaí had been alerted, Kavanagh did not venture in to inspect it, missing out on what would have been the biggest ever heist in Ireland at the time. He took £243,000 punts from the branch manager and loaded it into his van before driving away with members of the Lacey family later found in a stable near the Phoenix Park. Jo Jo Kavanagh would later tell gardaí that he had been kidnapped and forced to carry out the gang's demands, handing over the money to a motorcyclist. Gardaí did not believe his story and, given his previous convictions for armed robbery, he became a suspect. The following January Kavanagh was shot in the leg when he said he was confronted by masked men who asked why he hadn't taken all the money from the bank. When asked by Evening Herald reporter Brendan Farrelly, if he had staged the shooting, Kavanagh denied it. He served seven years of a 12-year sentence and emerged from prison in 2003 when it was reported he was no longer involved in crime. Other members of his extended family remained involved in gang activity, as organised criminals switched from heists to hard drugs. His nephew Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh, a Criminal Assets Bureau target in the mid 1990s, rose to become the Kinahan Cartel's number one man in the UK. Hie is serving a 21-year sentence for a multi-million-euro cocaine smuggling plot and got another conviction over a bid to hide weapons for the police to find in return for leniency. Jo Jo Kavanagh's nephews, brothers Gerard 'Hatchet' and Paul Kavanagh were also high- profile gangsters involved in the drugs trade linked to the Kinahan Cartel. 'Hatchet' Kavanagh was murdered in Spain in 2014 while Paul died in 2015 after being shot in Drumcondra after being lured to a meeting.

How DJ Carey conned cash from real cancer victim
How DJ Carey conned cash from real cancer victim

Extra.ie​

time8 hours ago

  • Extra.ie​

How DJ Carey conned cash from real cancer victim

Shamed hurling legend DJ Carey 'preyed' on a cancer patient during her 'most vulnerable moment' and conned her into giving him thousands of euros after falsely claiming he was suffering from the same disease. The woman's husband claimed Carey, who this week pleaded guilty to 10 charges of defrauding people out of money while pretending to have cancer, 'groomed' the couple as they were trying to cope with their own health crisis. And can reveal it was this couple who first blew the whistle on the five-time All-Ireland winner's heartless scam, whose many victims include the businessman Denis O'Brien. In an interview granted on condition of anonymity, the cancer patient's husband revealed the bombshell moment they realised they were not the only ones conned by Carey. Catriona Carey. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin It was while watching an RTÉ documentary about the former hurler's convicted fraudster sister, Catriona Carey, that they realised others could be swindled unless they did something. The cancer patient's husband told 'There was a Prime Time programme about Catriona Carey on the telly and his MO [modus operandi] seemed to be the same. 'He was so good. You're talking the Talented Mr Ripley here. He was juggling balls and living up a lot. It was a calculated approach. He was so good in his grooming. He was brilliant. It was the work of an artist, and he was consistent even to the end. 'When we saw the programme on the telly we said, 'this has to stop' and we came forward to stop it. We took our responsibilities seriously. And it has stopped. It's not easy to be a whistleblower and to stop fraud. You have to be brave. DJ Carey conned a real cancer victim by pretending he had the same disease. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin 'People giving him money, these were acts of kindness and decency, and it wasn't reciprocated. We didn't come forward ultimately to see him punished or put behind bars. This had nothing to do with retribution. We came forward to stop it, and it has stopped.' DJ Carey is regarded as one of the country's greatest-ever hurlers, winning five All-Ireland titles with Kilkenny and nine All-Stars during a glittering sporting career. On Wednesday, the 54-year-old pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Court to 10 separate charges of defrauding people by pretending he had cancer. There were initially 21 charges against him, and 30 witnesses were due to give evidence about how they were defrauded over an eight-year period between 2014 and 2022. Dressed in a dark suit, Carey sat at the side of the courtroom and walked to the dock when his case was called. DJ Carey outside the CCJ. Pic: ©Fran Veale He stood with his hands clasped in front of him and replied 'guilty' as the court registrar read out details of each of the 10 charges. Judge Patricia Ryan remanded him on continuing bail for a sentencing hearing to take place on October 29. The court heard that victim-impact statements would be required. Carey's barrister also requested legal aid on behalf of his client to cover a psychological report that may be necessary, saying there were 'certain mental health issues'. Judge Ryan granted the application. Carey was not required to address the court again and left shortly after. No evidence was given this week about how much money the former hurler pocketed. However, some sources familiar with the case believe more than €1m was given to Carey under false pretences. Carey's legal team this week said their client has a 'genuine' heart condition and that he had mental health issues. But until the moment his lawyers indicated Carey would be pleading guilty to the changes, the sportsman had maintained his innocence. The husband of the woman battling a cancer diagnosis who was targeted by Carey said: 'He didn't co-operate until the very end. His legal team said he has a heart condition, and it's a little bit rich because he could have co-operated. He didn't co-operate; he was caught. 'He could have made an attempt to repay people… he was managing the situation right to the end.' The couple who blew the whistle on Carey's fake cancer extortion scam got to know him through business and their shared love of hurling. They were not particularly close, but he made a point of approaching the couple when he learned about their health crisis. The cancer patient's husband recalled: 'My wife was diagnosed with blood cancer in February 2021, and we were completely up the walls to be given a diagnosis. 'We were looking down the barrel of a gun, we didn't know where we were. Between diagnosis and treatment is the worse time. You are really vulnerable. He [Carey] heard about it on the grapevine, and he was Ambassador for Kilkenny Hurling at the time. I was on the field, and he made a beeline for me. 'He knew about the type of cancer my wife has, and he told me: 'That's what I have. There is hope.' He told me he was getting treatment through his elite sports status in the US. 'He mentioned where he was getting treatment in Seattle and a centre in Manchester. 'I wrote all this down in my phone and he asked could he meet my wife. He was extremely convincing. We were groomed and there was preying on our vulnerability.' At the time, the former Kilkenny hurler was living in a luxury home on the grounds of the five-star Mount Juliet Estate, where the woman diagnosed with cancer occasionally frequented. 'A few weeks after meeting him, he met my wife and he mentioned to her about going for a coffee.' Afterwards, her husband said, the text messages started to ping on her phone. Within weeks, she received a message looking for money. The retired sportsman was desperate. He needed urgent treatment. But unless he had money by the weekend, he would lose his slot at an American hospital. Carey assured the cancer patient that his elite sports status cover would kick in at the end of the month, and he assured her he would repay the money then. But once the four-figure sum was transferred, he became elusive. He was in hospital having treatment. He could not talk because he was in hospital. Rest assured, she would get her money when he got home at the weekend. But as the months passed and the money never materialised, the real-life cancer patient became convinced Carey was 'faking' his cancer. Eventually, she threatened to go public unless he paid back the money in full. Her husband said Carey called to the house a short time later with the money. Despite their ordeal, the couple say they are fortunate they were able to recover their money. Others were not so lucky. Although Carey has only pleaded guilty to 10 charges of fraud, the couple's case is among 21 charges Judge Ryan will be asked to consider when sentencing Carey on October 29. Thirteen of his named victims include Denis O'Brien, Noel Tynan, Owen and Ann Conway, Mark and Sharon Kelly, Aidan Mulligan, Tony Griffin and Christy Browne, Thomas Butler, Jeffrey Howes, Edwin Carey and Aonghus Leydon. In spite of the stress Carey caused the couple, the cancer patient's husband said: 'I don't feel any bitterness towards the chap. I don't have any of that in me. We were codded and got our money back. It's a very sad tale. It's the fall of a sporting idol. The man was like a god in Kilkenny. 'I'm sad for him, I'm sad for his kids, I'm sad for his ex-wife. He targeted people who he knew had some money, and the money was given in goodwill and in the belief that his story was true.' The man, who said his wife is responding well to her cancer treatment, added: 'Giving the money was an act of decency, and the breach of trust is greater because we all gave that money to someone we thought was in dire need. Cancer or any fake use of cancer for gain should be off-limits, and he did cross that line. It's shocking. It's despicable to do that.'

From the Kerry archives, July 7, 2000: Courtroom fight, Ballybunion runs out of beer & Kelly talks GAA Presidency
From the Kerry archives, July 7, 2000: Courtroom fight, Ballybunion runs out of beer & Kelly talks GAA Presidency

Irish Independent

time9 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

From the Kerry archives, July 7, 2000: Courtroom fight, Ballybunion runs out of beer & Kelly talks GAA Presidency

Brawl breaks out in Tralee courtroom A mass brawl erupted in Tralee District Court on Wednesday morning moments after four defendants, including a 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl, were sentenced for their involvement in a high speed car chase through the town during which a Garda patrol vehicle was rammed. The incident appeared to be sparked when a woman who had been sitting in the public gallery attacked the girl, who had been the only defendant not to receive a custodial sentence. Within seconds, between 12 and 15 members of the public were fighting, with punches being thrown as people climbed over the court benches to join in the fracas. In the midst of the melee, the girl was pushed or struck to the ground. As the rest of the courtroom looked on in amazement, five Gardaí attempted to restore order. At least one man involved in the fight tried unsuccessfully to punch a Garda. One man was arrested as a result of the incident. As he was handcuffed and led away, he shouted-obscenities at both the legal system and the Gardai who he accused of trying to lynch him. When the fighting broke out, Judge Humphrey Kelleher immediately left the courtroom. The case, which arose out of an incident in the early hours of Wednesday morning, had earlier been described as extremely serious by prosecuting Inspector Barry O'Rourke, who said that it was part of the current rash of car thefts plaguing Tralee. Ballybunion runs out of beer during Irish Open Bring back the Murphy's Irish Open as soon as possible! That was the unanimous verdict this week from Ballybunion's business community — particularly its publicans, many of whom ran out of beer on Saturday night as thousands of thirsty punters thronged the North Kerry resort over the weekend. Ballybunion's debut as host club for the 2000 Irish Open was widely regarded as a resounding success. Murphy's Managing Director, Padraic Liston, declared it 'the best ever' as he handed the winner's trophy to 29-year-old Swedish golfer Patrik Sjöland beside the 18th green on Sunday afternoon. Already, the business people of the town have declared that they want the tournament back within the next few years. But committee member Fintan Scannell said the club must wait until agronomist Tom Kavanagh assesses what damage was done to the course by the estimated 40,000 spectators who followed the tournament over four days. Chairman of Ballybunion Development Company Kevin O'Callaghan said everyone involved in the tournament, particularly the Gardaí, who drew up an excellent traffic plan, could take a bow this weekend. "Ballybunion has proven itself now and there is no reason why we couldn't host another major golf tournament in the future," he said. A spectacular fireworks display and a street theatre production on Saturday night brough thousands of people into the town after the day's golf. Treasurer of the local vinter association, John Dee, said it was the biggest weekend the town had experienced in over thirty years. "I've never seen anything like the crowds. We had run out of cider, Budweiser and Heineken on Saturday night and so did other pubs. From a vintners point of view, we'd love to have it back. Fintan Scannell said the golf club may now set its sights on hosting the next Walker Cup in 2005. Kelly to seek GAA Presidency Kerry's Sean Kelly, current chairman of the Munster Council confirmed to The Kerryman on Wednesday that he would be allowing his name go forward for Presidency of the GAA in two years time. Mr Kelly, who withdrew from the race last year in order to give former Minister Council chairman Noel Walsh a 'free run', said that upon withdrawing from the race then, he had indicated that it was his intention to run for the Presidency next time round. "Once I am nominated by the Kerry County Board, I will be going for the Presidency," he said. "We have never had a Kerry President of the Association and if I'm nominated, I will be making an all-out effort to be elected. The nomination is not due to come up for another year but it's fairly well accepted that I would run.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store