Sister of Limerick university student killed in hit-and-run says ‘family will never be whole again’

JOE DRENNAN’S sister, Sarah, bravely took to the stand in Limerick Criminal Circuit Court on Friday to deliver a victim impact statement, saying “I struggle to find the words to convey the devastation it brought to my life”.

Joe was killed in a road traffic collision on the Dublin Road in the suburbs of Limerick city on Friday, October 13, 2023 at the age of 21.

He had been standing at the bus stop, when Kieran Fogarty - who has pleaded guilty to a range of charges, including dangerous driving causing death - broke a red light, crashed into a stationary vehicle, and spun out of control on the road, crashing into Joe.

“It was not an accident, it was a choice,” Ms Drennan said.

She began her statement by telling those in the courtroom: “There's no words that will capture the depth of my grief since the day my brother was taken from us. So today I am here to speak about the impact that my brother’s death has had on my life”.

“I struggle to find the words to convey the devastation it brought to my life,” she continued.

Ms Drennan, who had been at home by herself when members of An Garda Síochána arrived to inform the family, from Mountrath, Co Offaly, of her brother’s death, said: “He wasn't just my brother, he was my best friend, confidant, and the one person in the world who truly understood me”.

“He was not just another statistic. He's my brother. He had a name. Joe Drennan.”

“Myself and Joe would ring each other every day, some days, multiple times, because that's just how close we were,” Ms Drennan described.

READ MORE: BREAKING: 'He should have been locked up like the animal he is': Limerick man up in court for death of UL student Joe Drennan

“We spoke to each other every single day. Today is the 427th day since I last spoke with my brother. But what I would give for just one call just to hear him say “love ya” like he always did. That night, I was waiting for Joe to finish up with work to call him, but we didn't get that chance ever again.”

Mr Drennan had been named editor-in-chief of the Limerick Voice, a publication run by journalism students in the University of Limerick, only a few weeks before his death.

“Joe was truly one of a kind. He was my rock, someone I could always count on, no matter what” she noted, adding that he “was so outgoing, he knew exactly what he wanted in life. He used his potential to make the world a better place”.

Ms Drennan explained that Joe always strived to be “a voice for the voiceless”, telling the courtroom: “Kieran Fogarty cruelly silenced Joe’s voice”.

Mr Drennan had been nominated for two National Student Media Awards during his time as a journalism student, being shortlisted Journalist of the Year in 2023.

“Joe was exceptionally smart and excelled in school. He was always so kind to everybody and made so many friends from all walks of life,” Ms Drennan said.

“He would always say he was going to be rich and famous… but unfortunately he was made famous for all the wrong reasons.” 

“His courage and determination inspired me every day,” Ms Drennan said, “And I am so lucky to have had him, not just as a brother, but as a best friend. He had a huge smile, it was infectious and a head full of curls.”

She tearfully told the courtroom: “We should have had him years, decades longer. I simply cannot imagine how I can live without him”.

Ms Drennan said that their family “will never be whole again. On the night of October 13 was when our life sentence began. Joe received a death sentence that night. Kieran Fogarty was judge, jury and executioner. He killed our Joe”.