A member of rock group the Eagles was chauffeured to his own concert in Dublin in a limousine that was not registered as a public service vehicle, a court has heard.
A Michael Devine Chauffeurs car carrying bassist Timothy B Schmit was pulled over for inspection by gardaí and the National Transport Authority on June 4th last. Mr Schmit was being taken from his hotel to the 3 Arena where the Eagles were playing to a sold-out crowd, but he had to get alternative transport to the gig.
The driver of the 2007-reg 600-series Mercedes was taxi-man Michael O’Rourke, with an address at Moorecastle Village, Kilmuckdridge, Co Wexford, who was being paid €23 to bring the rocker to the venue.
He pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to driving the limousine which had not been registered as a small public service vehicle for hire.
Judge John O’Neill said he will strike out the case if Mr O’Rourke pays €400 in legal costs and donates €200 to suicide prevention charity Pieta House. The case was adjourned until June.
In evidence NTA compliance officer Liam Kavanagh told Judge John O’Neill he received a tip-off from a reliable source about a vehicle bringing members of the rock group the Eagles from their hotel to the 3 Arena where they playing a concert that night.
Gardaí were contacted and a checkpoint was set up at Sandymount Village in south Dublin where the limousine was stopped. Mr Kavanagh noticed there was “no licence fixed to the rear window”.
The vehicle belonged to Michael Devine Chauffeurs Ltd and Mr O’Rourke told the NTA official he had been paid €23 to bring his passenger to the 3 Arena. He collected the car in Cherry Orchard in west Dublin.
Mr O’Rourke explained he was supposed to be driving another vehicle but he was handed the keys to the Mercedes instead and he had not checked its window to see if it was licensed as a public service vehicle.
A member of the Eagles was in the back of the car and “we had to get different transport for him”, said Mr Kavanagh.
He said Mr O’Rourke “was stunned to be in this situation” and agreed that the driver had an unblemished record. He is a taxi-driver but also works part-time as a limousine chauffeur, Judge O’Neill was told.
Mr O’Rourke said it was “just an error” and NTA official told the court he felt sorry for him. Judge O’Neill noted O’Rourke pleaded guilty and was co-operative.