Limerick gang member ignored mother’s pleas to hand himself in after killing Joe Drennan

GANG member Kieran Fogarty, then aged 19, was involved in violent disorder, shot up a house with women and children present, and killed Joe Drennan through his dangerous driving in a six-month period in 2023.

He was described as an “animal” by a sister of Joe Drennan in her victim impact statement "who should have been locked up at the time". Fogarty was on bail at the time. One of the conditions was not to drive.

Mr Drennan was a fourth-year journalism student in University of Limerick, and editor-in-chief of the Limerick Voice publication. He wanted to “make the world a better place”.

Fogarty was located in north Cork where associates were flushing cocaine down a toilet as gardai burst into the house.

Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State solicitor Padraig Mawe, laid out the evidence of the four separate dates with the assistance of Inspector Padraigh Sutton and Detective Garda Shane O’Neill. It took a whole day in Limerick Criminal Circuit Court on Friday, December 13. Fogarty pleaded guilty to all matters. 

Sarah Drennan said her family’s life sentence began on the night of October 13, 2023.

“Joe received a death sentence that night. Kieran Fogarty was judge, jury and executioner - he killed our Joe,” said Ms Drennan.

Fogarty, aged 21, of Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston pleaded guilty to a number of offences including dangerous driving causing death, failing to offer assistance at the scene and criminal damage. 

Mr Drennan was waiting for a bus home after finishing a shift around 9.45pm. Insp Sutton said that  Fogarty was driving at 122kmph on the Dublin Road.  

“It was motorway speed in a 50km zone,” said Insp Sutton. The BMW was being driven by Fogarty on the wrong side of the road, went through a red light, struck a glancing blow to a stationary car causing Fogarty's car to spin.

“It collided with a wall. The vehicle pinned Joe Drennan under the car,” said Insp Sutton.

Minutes before the collision Fogarty had sent a video of himself speeding to friends. The garda inspector said Joe Drennan would not have felt anything and did not suffer.

Mr O’Sullivan gave the pathologist’s evidence who said Mr Drennan suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including serious head injuries. Insp Sutton said Fogarty spent 14 seconds in the car after the collision, cleaned it - which shows he was “forensically aware”, before fleeing the scene.

Fogarty was arrested in Cork over a week later. He exercised his right to silence in the first two interviews before making admissions and apologising.

Insp Sutton said the admissions only came after “insurmountable evidence” was put to Fogarty including his DNA on an airbag.

Fogarty told gardai he did not know he had struck someone and would have "stuck around" if he had known.

“I am very, very sorry for what I have done to that family. It should have been me that died. I am very sorry for what happened to that young fella,” said Fogarty to gardai.

Insp Sutton said Fogarty’s apologies “rang hollow” and were “tactical” in comparison to messages he sent to family and criminal associates.

Gardai secured access to his Facebook account. One message from Fogarty to a criminal read: “I bounced off that wall and took that young fella with me.”

“I’m after Killin a 21-year-old and a woman,” and “I got to wipe down the car down a small bit” were messages sent by Fogarty.

Despite pleas from his mother, Fogarty said he would not hand himself in.

“What do you want me to do, go up to the Barracks and say I killed someone stone dead on the road and I don’t even think they know it was me,” said Fogarty, who has a total of 46 previous convictions including five dangerous driving.

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Mark Nicholas SC, defending, said nobody in this court can remain unmoved at the enormity of what occurred. He said the pain visited on the Drennan family is palpable.

Mr Nicholas said Mr Drennan was killed in his prime and was adored.

In mitigation, the senior counsel said Fogarty has pleaded guilty, made admissions, referred to his youth (19) at the time and read out a letter of apology to the Drennan family.

On Friday afternoon, Judge Colin Daly heard evidence of a violent disorder incident in Carew Park, Southill on April 11, 2023. Fogarty jumped on the bonnet of a vehicle and kicked the windscreen. 

He then broke the front window with an iron bar, took a phone from inside the vehicle, smashed it on the ground and threw it at the target.

Mr O’Sullivan said two months later at 1.16pm on June 4, Fogarty shot at a house on Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston where women and children were present.

The court heard it was “most likely" a semi-automatic pistol and the bullets struck a garden wall.

“Luckily, nobody was struck,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

Fogarty told gardai he was “bombed out of my head on drugs that day”, that three males threatened him with a handgun and he “left off four shots to scare them”.

At 7.30am on October 23, 2023, Limerick gardai targeted an organised criminal grouping based on the southside of Limerick city when they raided a house in rural north Cork.

Mr O’Sullivan said gardai observed  two large amounts of white powder on a kitchen table, drugs paraphernalia including a cocaine press. The drugs found in the house included around €14,000 worth of cocaine, ecstasy valued at €770, and €232 of alprazolam.

Mr O’Sullivan said Fogarty was intimately involved with a criminal group, based on the southside of the city, who are involved in a feud with another criminal group. The prosecuting barrister said Fogarty’s criminal gang are involved with the sale and supply of drugs.

The court heard when armed gardai forced entry to the house two men were flushing cocaine down the toilet while Fogarty was walking down the stairs.

Fogarty later told gardai that his associates had shouted there was gardai at the door.

“I thought it was a joke,” said Fogarty.

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Aaron Desmond BL, who also represented Fogarty, put it to Det Garda O'Neill that his client became upset during interviews due to the “enormity of it”.

“Yes,” said Garda O'Neill. 

Judge Colin Daly said he has a lot to consider and requires time. 

Sentencing in all matters was adjourned until January 30.