Latest news with #Cosgrave
The Irish Sun
02-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Serving Irish soldier ‘ashamed' after man suffered brain injury from ‘one-punch' row over skipping fast-food queue
A SERVING Irish soldier has been bailed for sentencing after he admitted delivering 'one punch' to a man who fell to the ground, striking his head and leaving him with a traumatic brain injury. Father-of-three, Alan Costello, of Shantraud Woods, Killaloe in Co 2 Alan Costello appeared in court in Limerick Credit: Alamy 2 He pleaded guilty to one count of affray Credit: Brendan Gleeson Costello, 37, who has served almost 20 years in the Father-of-one Cosgrave, from Annacotty in The court heard that the two men got into a 'heated' row at the Chicken Hut fast-food restaurant in Limerick city, after Cosgrave appeared to have skipped past Costello in a queue for food in the early hours of February 20, 2022. Cosgrave, who was intoxicated, beckoned Costello to meet him outside the premises. READ MORE IN NEWS After both men went outside, Costello punched Cosgrave and he fell backwards, striking the back of his head off the ground, the court heard. Cosgrave's family told the Cosgrave's family said he was 'devastated' after doctors told him in 2023 he could no longer drive, nor perform mechanical checks on his fleet of trucks 'after he developed epilepsy, and lost strength in his arms'. Costello's barrister, Yvonne Quinn, told the court Costello had no previous convictions, that he did not target Cosgrave on the night, nor did he instigate the row with Cosgrave. Most read in The Irish Sun Judge Colin Daly said he would pass sentence on October 9.
Irish Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish soldier admits 'one punch' affray that left dad of one with brain injury
A serving Irish soldier has been bailed for sentencing after he admitted delivering 'one-punch' to a man who fell to the ground striking his head leaving him with a traumatic brain injury. Father of three, Alan Costello, (37), Shantraud Woods, Killaloe, Co Clare, told Gardai he was 'sorry' and 'ashamed' of his behaviour on the night, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard. Mr Costello, who has served almost 20 years in the Defence Forces, pleaded guilty to one count of affray, during which he punched the late Timmy Cosgrave, (51), during a row in February 2022. Mr Cosgrave, a father of one from Annacotty, Co Limerick, who ran his own haulage firm, died following an unrelated illness in Tenerife almost two years later, on January 10, 2024. The court heard that the two men got into a 'heated' row at the Chicken Hut fast-food restaurant, Limerick City, after Mr Cosgrave appeared to have skipped past Mr Costello in a queue for food inside the premises, in the early hours of February 20, 2022. Mr Cosgrave, who was intoxicated, beckoned Mr Costello to meet him outside the premises, and after both men went outside Mr Costello punched Mr Cosgrave and he fell backwards, striking the back of his head off the ground, the court heard. Prosecuting barrister, John O'Sullivan said: 'It is the Prosecution's case that Alan Costello administered one punch to Mr Cosgrave.' Following his arrest almost a month later on March 13, 2022, Mr Costello told gardai he had not been aware Mr Cosgrave had sustained a serious brain injury in the incident. Mr Costello told gardai that after punching Mr Cosgrave, he walked back to the scene to check on him but he could not find him there and so he left. Sergeant Cathal O'Sullivan, Limerick, played CCTV from inside and outside the Chicken Hut which he said showed the two men 'squaring up' to one another before Mr Costello removed his coat and punched Mr Cosgrave. Although the actual punch was not captured on CCTV Sgt O'Sullivan said Gardai were satisfied 'it was one blow'. Gardai said they found Mr Cosgrave in an 'intoxicated' and 'incoherent' state, and he was bleeding from his head, having earlier lost consciousness at the scene. Mr Cosgrave was transferred from the scene by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick, where he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury consistent with the events of the night. He had sustained hemorrhages, contusions, and fractures of his left temple. His condition deteriorated, and after he began suffering seizures, he was treated in the Intensive Care Unit and high Dependency Unit at UHL where he was an inpatient for almost a month. Mr Cosgrave was eventually transferred from UHL to the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dublin, where he was an inpatient from August 29 - October 14, 2022. Mr Cosgrave underwent a battery of occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, after suffering difficulties with language skills and swallowing. He suffered reduced strength and sensation in his limbs, persistent and significant fatigue, as well as emotional difficulties linked to his brain injury. Mr Cosgrave's family told the court that Mr Costello 'took away Timmy's independence' when he punched him as well as his 'passion' for trucks and his haulage company which he had established in 2015, 'which were his pride and joy'. Mr Cosgrave's family said after Mr Cosgrave was 'devastated' after doctors told him in 2023 he could no longer drive, nor perform mechanical checks on hs fleet of trucks 'after he developed epilepsy, and lost strength in his arms'. 'It affected him mentally and physically. It was a huge disruption to his business and everyday life. 'Timmy was a proud family man, animal lover and hard worker, but after the incident he was a different man, he became a distant person, he changed dramatically,' they said. Mr Costello's barrister, Yvonne Quinn, told the court Mr Costello had no previous convictions, that he did not target Mr Cosgrave on the night nor did he instigate the row with Mr Cosgrave. Sergeant O'Sullivan agreed that Mr Costello was 'deeply ashamed and genuinely remorseful', that he 'fully co-operated' with the garda investiagtion, and that he did not have a history of violence. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week Ms Quinn asked the court to take into consideration the definition of 'affray' whereby, she said, 'two or more persons use or threaten to use violence', and in that, Mr Cosgrave 'was the other party' on the night. 'Yes, the accused had a choice, and yes, he should have walked away - he was wrong. In the moment Mr Costello should have exercised more restraint, he knows that now.' Ms Quinn provided the court with a letter of apology penned by Mr Costello to Mr Cosgrave's family. Judge Colin Daly said he would pass sentence on October 9. When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Irish Defence Forces replied: 'The Defence Forces do not comment on individual cases and as this is still before the court it is inappropriate to comment further.'
The Star
27-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Interview: Web Summit CEO says U.S. tariffs "a huge mistake"
GENEVA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Paddy Cosgrave, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Web Summit Limited - the private company that organizes Web Summit and similar conferences across the world - told Xinhua on Sunday that the U.S. tariff measures are "a huge mistake." Cosgrave made the remarks during an online interview on the sidelines of the Web Summit Rio, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from April 27 to 30. The event is part of a series of Web Summit activities, including the flagship technology conference held annually in Lisbon since 2016. "It's a huge mistake by the United States. They've decided to turn over the card that determines whether they are the hegemon anymore. It's quite clear we no longer live in a unipolar world," Cosgrave told Xinhua via video link, commenting on the broader impact of the U.S. tariffs on trading partners, including China. "The United States doesn't really produce much. There's a huge dependency on China for supply chains," he added. According to an earlier report by the Financial Times, the U.S. accounts for just 13 percent of global goods imports, a decline from nearly one-fifth two decades ago. Data from the Chinese authorities shows that China remains America's second-largest source of imports, with U.S. imports from China accounting for 13.8 percent of the country's total imports in 2024. Commenting on the escalating trade tensions initiated by the U.S. administration, Cosgrave said: "The U.S. is in a terrible place, and eventually Trump is going to have to back down." Regarding China's growing influence in the global arena, Cosgrave observed that the Asian country will play a significant role. He noted that China has built up "incredible industrial competence" carefully and strategically, with its education system and research capacity standing at a leading level globally. Each year, the Web Summit conference brings together a global community of founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors to connect and exchange ideas about the technology and trends shaping the world. Since its launch in Dublin in 2009, Web Summit events -- including Web Summit in Lisbon, Web Summit Rio in Brazil, Web Summit Qatar in the Middle East, and RISE in Asia -- have gathered nearly one million people, according to the organizer. Its newest event, Web Summit Vancouver, will take place from May 27-30. "We've continued to expand. We started with the event in Europe many years ago, and we've expanded elsewhere in the world," Cosgrave said, adding that the company is now eyeing opportunities in Hong Kong or nearby cities in Asia.
Zawya
21-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Runway to Web Summit Qatar 2025 addresses key challenges in tech
DOHA: Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), in partnership with Web Summit and the Government Communications Office, hosted 'Runway to Web Summit Qatar 2025', yesterday in anticipation of the Web Summit Qatar 2025 next week. The event, which brought together prominent industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators witnessed the participation of Paddy Cosgrave, CEO of Web Summit; Dr. Jack Lau, President of QSTP; Hayfa Al Abdullah, Innovation Director, Qatar Science & Technology Park; Amna Khalid Al Kaabi, Head of Emerging Technologies, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT); and Dr. Ahmed K. Elmagarmid – Executive Director, Qatar Computing Research Institute. The event provided an opportunity for the participants to hear valuable insights during a fireside chat with Cosgrave and Dr. Lau. The CEO and Founder of Web Summit highlighted the challenges and early days of establishing the technology event in 2009, which grew from 150 participants to over 60,000 in 2024, with the attendance of Chinese entrepreneurs and VCs in the later years. 'It was clear that this trend would accumulate over time, and about five years ago, in the fields of machine learning and AI, Chinese academics were already producing more high-quality citations than their Western counterparts, Cosgrave said. He mentioned that Chinese dominance in every tech sector was inevitable for a long period of time. The Web Summit CEO said 'It wasn't fully believable until recently, though, when DeepSeek's progress became undeniable just a few weeks ago. Other sectors have also been heading in this direction, where the realisation has set in that the model-based approach to innovation far surpasses anything that existed before.' Cosgrave further emphasised 'Looking forward, I believe the outlook is incredibly positive. The current driving force is likely the faster-than-expected decline in the West, accompanied by the realisation that the West will need to adapt to survive in a rapidly changing world.' 'This shift isn't just about US foreign policy; it also involves the way innovation is created, and products are developed. 'The world is changing in a way it hasn't for around 500 years, and it's hard to ignore that the landscape is evolving drastically,' he added. Runway to Web Summit 2025 also included a panel discussion on 'Building the Future of Technology in the Middle East' with leading industry figures, as well as startup success stories from QSTP alumni and Web Summit attendees. In addition to that, participants witnessed a startup showcase and networking session, offering a unique chance to connect with key players in Qatar's entrepreneurial ecosystem. © Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
