Former Young All-Star Hurler of the Year, Cathal Barrett, has been given a two-year driving ban and a €200 fine for being intoxicated while in charge of a vehicle at Thurles District Court yesterday.
According to the Irish Examiner, Judge Elizabeth MacGrath heard that Oscar Kinsella walked by the defendant’s vehicle in O’ Donovan Rossa Street, Thurles, on March 3 last following a night of heavy snowfall.
Mr Barrett (25) from Beakstown, Holycross, Co. Tipperary, was arrested after Gardaí noticed his car parked in the middle of the road on a one-way street, parallel to a parked car.
Mr Kinsella gave evidence that he saw what appeared to be two people in the vehicle who “looked as if they were very dead.”
Under cross-examination from solicitor Patrick Kennedy, defending, Garda Carey accepted that driving conditions were "very difficult" at the time and that Mr Barrett appeared to be sleeping.
He also accepted that nobody could say when Mr Barrett intended to drive.
He was arrested at 7.10am and brought to Thurles Garda station, where he provided a breath specimen which showed that Barrett had 65 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
The legal limit is 22 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath for an experienced driver.
The All-Ireland medalist made no response to the charge.
