Brothers acquitted of attempted murder at Offaly halting site

By Alison O'Riordan and Ryan Dunne

Two brothers have been found not guilty of trying to murder another pair of brothers during an attack at an unofficial halting site in Co Offaly last year, during which there was "pandemonium", with shots fired and children forced to search for cover.

The jury at the Central Criminal Court rejected the evidence of victim Anthony McDonagh, who described "locking eyes" with Patrick 'Pa' Ward (38) before the accused man shot him in the chest outside his home.

They also rejected the evidence of father-of-eight Michael McDonagh, who told the trial he was "100 per cent" that the second accused, John Pio Ward (42), shot him in the chest.

Defence witness Eileen McDonagh said she was "devastated" when she found out her two brothers - Anthony and Michael - had been shot, but she told the Central Criminal Court that her partner Patrick 'Pa' Ward "didn't do it".

The panel of seven men and five women deliberated for four hours and 20 minutes before delivering their majority verdicts on Thursday in the trial of the Ward brothers.

The jury was initially told that they had to be unanimous in their verdicts, but after deliberating for just over four hours, Justice Paul McDermott told them that he would accept a majority verdict.

Patrick Ward, of Kilcruttin, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was charged with attempting to murder father of five Anthony McDonagh (40) at the unofficial halting site on March 21st, 2025.

John Pio Ward, also of Kilcruttin, was charged with the attempted murder of Michael McDonagh (46) at the same location on the same date.

Both accused men faced further charges of the possession of firearms and violent disorder, at Kilcruttin halting site on the same date.

The two defendants, who had denied all of the charges, were today found not guilty on all counts.

After the jury delivered their verdicts, Justice McDermott thanked them for their patience and attendance during the trial and excused them from jury service for five years. He discharged the two accused men, ending the three-week trial.

Trial evidence

It was the State’s case that five men were involved in a violent altercation at 9:50pm on March 21st outside Tullamore Hospital - three members of the Ward family, who are first cousins of the two defendants, as well as the victim Michael McDonagh.

The trial heard that minutes after Michael McDonagh arrived home to the unofficial site that night, a large group appeared, "having come from the official halting site".

"Some members of the group were in possession of firearms and shots were discharged," prosecution counsel Kevin White told the jury. He said "pandemonium" ensued and that people including children were forced to look for cover.

The jury heard that Anthony and Michael McDonagh were attacked at the unofficial halting site sometime before 10:12pm that night, when a 999 call was made to emergency services.

The court heard that the victims were shot in the chest, neck and face, with pellets from a shotgun "embedded" in their bodies next to vital organs. Both men were "very lucky" not to experience serious complications or even death, the trial heard.

Patrick Ward told detectives he had heard rumours that his name was mentioned about "what had gone on" but said he had "never left the site all night".

When gardaí put it to John Ward in interview that Michael McDonagh was absolutely adamant he had shot him, the accused replied: "Why would I do that; no reason why I would suddenly go and shoot him".

Officers told John Ward that Michael McDonagh had been "very descriptive" in his statement, to which the accused said: "It's lies 100 per cent."

A defence alibi witness, who cannot be named by order of the court, told the trial that she was on the official halting site on the night of March 21st, when she heard loud bangs at around 10.05pm.

She recalled the accused John Ward shouting for his two sons to come over. "When he called over, it made me look over and he was standing there and a man beside him; he called for the boys to come home".

Another alibi witness, who also cannot be named by order of the court, told the trial that he pulled up at John Ward's yard around 9:40pm on March 21st to discuss doing some work on a shed.

The witness said he was chatting to the accused in the yard for about 15 minutes when they heard two bangs going off.

The trial also heard from Detective Garda Tadhg O'Brien, who went to the cardiac intensive care unit at St James Hospital at 10am on March 22nd, 2025, where the two injured men had been transferred.

The detective said Michael McDonagh told him he was "90 percent sure" it was John Ward who had shot him and that the accused's face was not covered at the time.

The detective said he next spoke to Anthony McDonagh, who told him he was shot by "Pa Ward, his brother-in-law", whose face was also uncovered.

Det Gda O'Brien said he returned to the hospital at 2pm that day and invited both men to make statements. The witness said Anthony refused to make a statement, saying that he wanted to get it right, that his "head was all over the place" and he was on painkillers.

The detective said he spoke to Michael separately and invited him to make a statement. He said Michael refused, also telling him that he wanted to get it right, that his "head was all over the place" and that he was on painkillers.

In cross-examination, Michael O'Higgins, for John Ward, put it to the witness that the McDonaghs had given the exact same reason for not making a statement and asked whether this a coincidence. The detective said he could just confirm his note.

In his closing speech, White asked the jury whether the McDonagh brothers came across as "actors" when they gave their evidence, who were willing and determined to tell untruths.

"Did they come across as spiteful men, vengeful even.... or do you think they came across as two men who had suffered a very traumatic incident, who were emotional and being honest?"

He asked the jury to consider how well the McDonagh brothers knew the two accused men and asked why the victims would name Patrick and John Pio Ward if they were not involved in the earlier hospital altercation.

However defence counsel for Patrick Ward, Damien Colgan, submitted that there was not "an iota or shred" of other evidence to support the testimony given by Anthony McDonagh.

Counsel submitted that Anthony had "no idea" who shot him and that he had lied to the jury on a number of occasions. He said it was "clear as a pike staff" that Anthony was behind a fence when he was shot.

"In an area where he can't positively identify anybody, not to mention Patrick Ward,” said Colgan.

O'Higgins, for John Pio Ward, said that Michael McDonagh did not have one "scintilla of support" for his allegation, adding that the evidence fell "way below" the acceptable standards.

Justice McDermott told the jury that the prosecution was seeking to prove the cases based on recognition evidence.

He said that the jury must exercise caution in relation to recognition evidence and that there have been a significant number of cases in the past in which identification had proved to be erroneous.