Murder accused in Doneraile trial: 'There was no intent ... to do what happened'

The 17-year-old on trial for murdering 44-year-old postman Barry Daly in his front garden said: “There was no intent in anyone’s head to do what happened.” 

A DVD recording of a garda interview with the teenager the day after the death of Barry Daly at Rockview Terrace in Doneraile on October 12, 2025, was played to Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury of six men and six women at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today.

Detective Garda Noelle McSweeney said that the defendant was arrested and taken for questioning before 7.30am on October 13 last in the presence of his mother.

The accused said he got a call from a friend about Alex Deady being in some fight in Doneraile and he got out of bed, got dressed and went in to make sure he was alright.

The 17-year-old said he and Alex went up to Barry Daly’s house: “As I was going through, Barry jumped out and swung for me. I tried to dodge it. Alex hit him and he fell. And we just ran off.” 

He said Alex Deady told him earlier that his girlfriend, Rachel, got hit and he (Alex) was trying to protect her.

The 17-year-old said, in relation to what happened outside Barry Daly’s house: “There was no intent to do what was done, like. Never meant for it to happen.” 

The teenager said he brought golf clubs from home from a golf bag behind the couch.

“We just went up, like. There is nothing really to describe, we just walked up. We went towards the house where it happened… where the incident happened… Alex went one way, I went the other. As I was going in, he (Barry) jumped out. He obviously seen me. He threw a punch. I dodged him. Alex hit him because he obviously seen him swinging for me. He hit him once and he fell. We went away. He was trying to get up when we were leaving. He was trying to talk. If I knew it would happen the way it did, I wouldn’t have gone,” the teenager said.

Asked where Alex hit Barry, the teenager said: “I think it was in the head, I don’t know.” 

Asked what Alex hit him with, he said: “I think it was the golf club, it could have been his hand. I didn’t see it. I was just getting out of the way of the punch. I didn’t hit Barry… I didn’t touch him.” 

Earlier in the day’s evidence, a witness described seeing 20-year-old Alex Deady ‘flaking’ a golf club off the ground and shouting in Doneraile town sometime before 44-year-old Barry Daly was killed in the front garden of his home.

Witness Jack O’Shea was on the winning hurling team whose win was being celebrated in Doneraile on October 11 2025. He said he met Barry Daly in Eily’s Bar that night and recalled the deceased saying “well done in the match”.

The trial continues.