Carlow man with 53 convictions caught drug-driving at speed in town estate
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A MAN with 53 previous convictions has been fined and disqualified from driving after he was caught driving at high speed while under the influence of cannabis and cocaine in a Carlow housing estate.
Michael Meaney residing at 1 Hay Market, Carlow town, came before Judge Geraldine Carthy at Carlow District Court charged with drug-driving on 22 March 2025.
The court heard that at 5.38am, Garda Phelan observed a vehicle driving erratically towards Carlow town at Friar’s Green, Dublin Road. The vehicle was heading towards him, so he turned around and followed it, at which point he observed it was being driven at high speed into Friar’s Green housing estate.
Garda Phelan noted the driver, Mr Meaney, was intoxicated and made a lawful demand for an oral fluid sample, which came back positive for both cannabis and cocaine.
The defendant was arrested and brought to Carlow Garda Station, where a designated doctor took blood samples. A medical certificate was issued and it came back with a reading of 8.2ng/ml, where the limit is 5ng/ml.
The court was told that Mr Meaney has 53 previous convictions, including one for driving while under the influence, which was heard before Naas District Court in 2018 for an offence committed in 2017. He was disqualified from driving for four years as a result and was given a five-month sentence. His last court appearance was in 2022 at Carlow Circuit Court for a offence, for which he was given a five-month suspended sentence.
Solicitor Joe Farrell said his client had come to garda attention “an awful lot at the time”, but said he is now in employment and had “an active involvement in his child’s life”.
He added: “He is finding it a little bit hard to shake the fact that he was known to gardaí. He made a guilty plea but doesn’t recall his driving being of that particular nature” and “was not trying to get away from gardaí”.
Judge Carthy convicted and fined Mr Meaney €350 to be paid within 120 days and disqualified him from driving for one year.
