Two men who claimed they were defamed at a meeting of gun clubs in Castleisland, Co Kerry, four years ago were each awarded €15,000 plus costs at Killarney Circuit Court yesterday, against the man who alleged they had shot a sitting pheasant out of season. Anne Lucey reports.
Mr Patrick O'Sullivan, Adriville, Scartaglin, and Mr John Joe Culloty, Knockaskeha, Killarney, both experienced gunmen, were said to have "shot a sitting pheasant on the ground, out of season and with a rifle", and that they had been detained by gardaí on the matter.
The particular allegation was tantamount to "a mortal sin" and "a crime", said Mr Patrick Fleming, a member of the Flesk Gun Club in Killarney for 40 years and a character witness for Mr Culloty.
"If a person shoots a pheasant in February, that's a crime. We don't even shoot them in January. It's a mortal sin to shoot a pheasant with a rifle," Mr Fleming said.
In fact, Mr Culloty was a real sportsman, and had contributed hugely to the Flesk Gun club since joining, Mr Fleming added.
"He shoots woodcock like myself. That's where the real sport is." The allegation was made in an upstairs room of a Castleisland bar by Mr Patrick Enright, Knockatee, Cordal, Castleisland, at a meeting of the Currow-Castleisland gun clubs in May 2000, the court heard.
The secretary of the Currow District Game Association, Mr Jack O'Connell, said he was taking down the minutes at the meeting which had been called to sort out problems between the two clubs. Mr Enright told the meeting the men had been shooting out of season in February and they had used a rifle and had been detained by gardaí. They were not present at the meeting, but were told about it the next day and were "devastated", they each told the court.
Mr Culloty said he was in fact a conservationist, he spent more time re-stocking than shooting and no-one would shoot a pheasant with a rifle, he said. He would use a shotgun. He had never been questioned by gardaí on the matter. Mr O'Sullivan felt he would lose his gun licence because of the false allegation.
The men's barrister, Ms Elma Sheahan, said there had been a number of people in the room and the matter was discussed in the bar afterwards.
"These two men are entitled to their good name and to have it restored. They have been forced to come before the court," she said.
Mr Enright was not in court yesterday