Once-promising Cork soccer player who had trials for Celtic jailed for shoplifting

A one-year prison sentence was imposed on a man for multiple counts of shoplifting around Cork city as the 40-year-old culprit looks back on his teenage years when he had trials with Glasgow Celtic.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer said that in the course of many court appearances by Daniel O’Donovan it was pointed out that the defendant’s youth was full of promise as he was selected for trials in Glasgow and stayed there for some time. It was only after his return home to Cork that he began to get into difficulties with addiction and offending.

Now at Cork District Court, Judge John King has imposed a sentence of 18 months on O’Donovan with the last six months suspended.

The accused, with an address at 129 Mount Nebo Ave, Gurranabraher, Cork, pleaded guilty to multiple offences, mainly shoplifting, between December 2024 and June this year.

He stole food at Centra on Oliver Plunkett St, meat at Marks and Spencer on Merchants Quay, and razors at Boots pharmacy on Half Moon St. The total value of goods taken in those three incidents amounted to more than €500.

He returned to steal more property at Boots, he was caught stealing at Brown Thomas, and he stole more at Centra. He carried out a theft of €230 worth of meat at Aldi in Blackpool and stole from Aldi on Tory Top Rd.

Most recently, he was caught stealing €257 worth of property from Brown Thomas.

He was caught in an earlier incident with cannabis for his own use.

“He was a very fine footballer,” said Mr Buttimer. “Up to the age of 15 he was sought after by a number of clubs across the water. He was given trials with Glasgow Celtic. He was quite young and it was decided he should come home. So his talent did not achieve the highest level it could have. He did play football at a pretty good level here in Cork.

“The problem was that he started drinking alcohol. It spiralled to drug difficulties that included heroin.”