Munster captain Tadhg Beirne during Satruday night's defeat of Leinster in Croke Park I PICTURE: Sportsfile
Search
20 Oct 2025
Search
20 Oct 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Joe Drennan, who was killed in a hit-and-run in Castletroy, 18 months ago
THE DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has formally appealed the "undue leniency" of the sentence handed down to the man whose dangerous driving resulted in the death of Joe Drennan.
Members of Joe Drennan's family have confirmed the move to the Limerick Voice newspaper this Wednesday.
Joe's mother Marguerite said the family had been notified of the appeal just a day after members of the Drennan family were asked to leave the DPP's office or the Gardaí would be called.
“We got the appeal! It’s great news, thank God. We are delighted and we want to thank everyone who has helped support our campaign,” she told the University of Limerick student newspaper, which will be released alongside the Limerick Leader next week.
There had been widespread criticism of the sentence given to Kieran Fogarty, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving
causing the death of Mr Drennan who was waiting at a bus stop at the Dublin Road on October 13, 2023.
Great news #justiceforjoe
— Kathryn Hayes (@Hayes_Cait) February 12, 2025
Read full report in @LimerickVoice https://t.co/dsqXjXOKWZ
Judge Colin Daly imposed a six-and-a-half-year jail sentence on Fogarty, aged 21, of Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, for killing Joe Drennan.
He said this would be consecutive to an eight-year term for shooting up a house as part of gangland feud.
Judge Daly then said it was to be served concurrently after prosecuting barrister John O'Sullivan sought clarification.
The Drennan family said this was “disgusting” and an “insult” as Fogarty “would not serve anything” for Joe’s death.
READ MORE: No flies on the University of Limerick as they are shortlisted for Spider Award
They say Joe was never in trouble a day in his life but now after his death he has been mixed up in serious criminality
through the sentence imposed.
The Drennan family started a campaign calling on the DPP to make the “right and early decision” regarding appealing the
sentence.
It's not the first occasion in recent times the DPP has stepped in.
Last year, it ordered a review on the case of soldier Cathal Crotty who assaulted Natasha O'Brien in Limerick city centre.
He was initially given a suspended sentence. That was upgraded to a custodial term last month upon appeal.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
