Busker fined €550 for driving offences in Carlow court
Carlow courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke
A MUSICIAN who came to Carlow for a ‘spur of the moment’ busking trip was fined €550 after being stopped while driving uninsured and unaccompanied on a learner permit.
Sean Daly Carney, 5 Castan Close, Ballywilliams, Co Wexford appeared before Carlow District Court charged with having no insurance, no NCT, no L plates displayed and driving as an unaccompanied learner driver.
The court heard that on 3 May 2025 at 11.20am on Tullow Road, Carlow, Garda Miller stopped a vehicle driven by the 28-year-old Mr Carney. The defendant admitted to having no insurance and acknowledged he was on his second learner’s permit with no L plates displayed and no qualified driver accompanying him.
The vehicle’s NCT had expired in 2024 and the tax had expired in January 2025.
Solicitor Joe Farrell, representing Mr Carney, told his client to “take your hands out of your pockets” before the facts were heard.
In mitigation, Mr Farrell explained that his client had attended Ballyfermot College of Music and had a talent for music. He told the court that Mr Carney’s mother was very ill and in palliative care.
The solicitor said there was no insurance policy in place at the time, adding: “I would go as far as to say he was naive” and explained that the defendant’s twin brother was insured on the vehicle.
“He came up to Carlow to do some busking; it was a spur of the moment thing,” said Mr Farrell, adding that his client was “in the care of some medical experts as to how he engages in society and how he behaves”.
“He has huge support at home,” the solicitor said, explaining that Mr Carney was “too busy concentrating on gigging and busking” on the day in question.
Judge Geraldine Carthy convicted and fined the defendant €300 for not having insurance with 120 days to pay and €250 for driving unaccompanied. All other charges were taken into consideration and Mr Carney was spared a driving ban.
