Youtube drivers face justice for N4 sulky race
In the same week that shocking footage of a sulky road race in Co. Cork provoked national outrage, the perpetrators of a similar road race in Co. Sligo in 2010 were being prosecuted and fined by a Sligo court judge.
The shocking footage of so-called ‘sulky’ racing on the main Sligo to Dublin road between Castlebaldwin and Boyle was first revealed by the Sligo Weekender in August 2010, almost two months after it happened, which was coincidentally the same day as the new Ballymote Garda Station was being opened by then Minister for Justice Dermott Ahern.
The footage garnered national attention at the time, with discussions not just on local radio, but on Pat Kenny’s RTE breakfast show as well.
The footage of a horse race between Limerick Lady and Duck Filly shows the following vehicles at times four-abreast on the single lane road, forcing oncoming traffic onto the hard shoulder.
It has unerring similarities to a race recorded earlier this month on the Cork to Mallow road, but in that instance the Gardai were able to respond in time, although they had considerable trouble bringing the race to a halt.
Three people were convicted and fined at Sligo district court last week as a result of the incident at Whitehill near Castlebaldwin Co. Sligo on June 26 2010.
Judge Kevin Kilrane branded those taking part as “thinking they were a law unto themselves taking part in a medieval race”.
“They did not know or did not care who else was on this very busy road or who else could have been seriously injured or even worse.”
The incident happened on Saturday June 26 around 4.30pm, Sligo court heard.
“This happened on a weekend when many people would be travelling on the road with parents bringing children to matches and these people showed no regard,” the judge said.
Sergeant Gerry Murphy told the court that gardai later charged Martin J. Sweeney of Crozon Crescent, Hugie McGinley of 9 Ballyfree, Oakfield and Winnie Sweeney of Lahinch, Hollymount after studying the incident which was filmed on Youtube.
Defence solicitor for Hughie McGinley and Winnie Sweeney, Gerry McGovern said the sulky racing was part of a certain “culture”.
“They will just have to learn that the highways of Ireland are no longer free to engage in such activity,” said Mr McGovern.
Judge Kilrane declined the State’s offer to watch the footage at last week’s court.
Sergeant Murphy said Sweeney co-operated fully with gardai. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was told to have €1,500 in court by May 31 if he wished to keep his driving licence.
Martin J. Sweeney’s defence solicitor Joe Carter said his client was driving on the hard shoulder.
The judge said this was no great mitigating factor and repeated that the defendant would need to bring the cash to court if he wanted to keep driving.
Hughie McGinley, 9 Ballyfree, Oakfield was fined €300 and banned from driving for a year.
Winnie Sweeney, was fined €300 for witholding information from gardai.
Mr McGovern said Ms Sweeney was afraid to divulge that information.
His other client Hughie McGinley had been invited to take part in the race, the court heard. Sulky racing has been a part of the Traveller community for hundreds of years. Quite often wagers are placed on the races.
Since the case Sligo Weekender has learned that gardai conducted an intensive investigation into the incident.
Identification of those involved has proved to be difficult and the investigation also involved the PSNI in Northern Ireland.
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