A MAN who was ordered to climb Croagh Patrick for verbally abusing two gardaí has raised almost €3,000 for charity after completing the hike with 13 friends.
Joseph McElwee was ordered to climb the mountain in Co Mayo by Judge Séamus Hughes after being found guilty of threatening and abusing gardaí while drunk in Donegal on March 28th.
McElwee, a father of two children, came out of a pub in the seaside town of Rathmullan and launched into a verbal tirade against gardaí which lasted more than 10 minutes.
During the abuse he called Garda Nicholas Freyne a “Mayo w****r” and told him to “f*** off back to Mayo”.
Judge Hughes, who is himself a native of Mayo, ordered McElwee to do four stations of the famous mountain as a mark of respect for his fellow Irish people, especially those in the line of duty.
At the time, he instructed McElwee: “I want you to come back in a month’s time with evidence that you did the four stations of Croagh Patrick and say a few prayers. You then might have a different impression of Co Mayo and its people.”
Unemployed McElwee (38) returned to court yesterday and produced pictures of himself, his wife and 12 other friends climbing the mountain. He told Judge McElwee he regretted what he had done and had managed to raise €2,900 for charity during the climb.
However, he said the publicity surrounding the case had had a very negative affect on his family, especially his eight-year-old son.
He said that he had not thought that there was going to be so much publicity about the case despite having been warned by his solicitor.
Judge Hughes asked McElwee if he had found climbing the “Reek” therapeutic and McElwee agreed that he had.
The judge then warned McElwee, of Aughavennan, Rathmullan, not to come before him again.
“I hope that when you come out of a pub in the beautiful village of Rathmullan in future, you take in a deep breath of fresh air from nearby Lough Swilly and you will appreciate that gardaí are there for your own protection.”
McElwee agreed. Judge Hughes asked him if he had any complaint about donating the money raised to a charity from both Donegal and Mayo and was told he had not.
Judge Hughes ordered €1,450 of the cash to be given to the Donegal Hospice and the remaining €1,450 be donated to the Adult Mental Health Services at Mayo General Hospital.
He also asked for a note to be included with the donations explaining the circumstances surrounding the donations.