Birthday bash five guilty of 'large-scale' brawl with 21st party armed gatecrashers

Tom Tuite

Five Dublin revellers have been spared jail following a 'large-scale' brawl with violent birthday party gatecrashers armed with hurleys and suspected 'shiv' blades.

Louise Byrne, 43, and Catlyn Brophy, 23, both of Windmill Park, Crumlin, and Evan Cummins, 22, of Pine Road, Ringsend, 25-year-old Luke Cummins of Grand Canal Walk, Ringsend and Adam Mooney, 23, Iveagh Trust, Kevin Street pleaded guilty on Thursday to engaging in violent disorder on July 16th, 2023.

Mooney and Luke Cummins also admitted to producing weapons, pint glasses, during the incident.

Court Garda Sergeant James Ward outlined the evidence, telling Judge Treasa Kelly that the night of Catlyn Brophy's 21st party at the Four Provinces pub ended in violence when two uninvited males, unknown to the defendants, entered the gathering with weapons.

A verbal disagreement spilt onto the street outside and turned into a brawl, witnesses told gardaí.

CCTV footage

CCTV footage revealed that there was a fight between seven people, and "multiple strikes and punches were exchanged between all parties".

Two pint glasses were used to strike a male, and that evidence related only to carpenter Luke Cummins and Mooney. Luke Cummins, alone, insisted his was plastic while Mooney accepted his was a glass, the court heard.

Except for construction worker Mooney, none of the defendants had prior convictions.

The 23-year-old father of one's prior crimes included three drug offences, but his solicitor, Stephen O'Mahony, submitted they happened several years ago.

His client had since turned his life around and was raising his child while working full-time.

He explained that Mooney had initially acted to protect himself and others as the "happy occasion turned sour" and escalated into a brawl.

Solicitor, Evan Moore, for the remaining defendants, said they were all in employment and at a normal, well-behaved 21st when two men chased by gardaí entered and produced shiv knives and approached them. Louise Byrne was knocked out by one of the culprits, the court heard.

Pleading for leniency, Mr Moore emphasised that they had never been in trouble before, but “trouble came to them, and they were merely defending themselves.”

Fines

Judge Kelly said having a pint glass was extremely serious and imposed a four-month suspended sentence on Mooney.

She applied the Probation of Offenders Act to the remaining four, sparing them recorded convictions on the condition that they make donations to various charities within a month. She noted their incomes and ordered that Byrne pay €650, Brophy €500, Evan Cummins €450, and Luke Cummins €500.

Otherwise, they will face heavier fines and criminal convictions.

At least one other person is still before the courts in connection with the incident.