Dundalk RFC end 2013 on a high with victory over Enniscorthy

Action from Dundalk v Enniscorthy

Dundalk RFC ended their 2013 campaign on a high on Saturday when they bounced back from back-to-back defeats with a 36-0 win over Enniscorthy at the Mill Road.

Four early penalties from Ultan Murphy set the home side on their way and it was he who turned provider before the break as Stephen Martin crashed over for the game’s opening try. Murphy then added the conversion to leave it 19-0 at the break.

Johnny Gray then added a second try on the restart, which was again converted by Murphy.

Owen McNally then got over in the corner, with a missed conversion leaving it 31-0.

Dundalk then went in search of a bonus point, with Isaia Petelo grabbing it after getting over for his eighth try of the season.

Dundalk now look forward to a welcome Christmas break before resuming activities with a trip to face Cill Dara on January 4^th.

Also on Saturday the 2nds overcame Enniscorthy by 26-16, with the 3rds going down 20-10 to Rathoath.

Murphy should not have been held liable based on his failure to testify, lawyers argue

Colm Murphy

A local builder accused of supplying mobile phones to the Omagh bombers should not have been held liable based on his failure to testify, the Court of Appeal heard yesterday.

Lawyers for Colm Murphy, from Ravensdale, argued that refusing to give evidence did not prove the case against him on the balance of probabilities.

Three senior judges were also told the extent of his alleged involvement has been reduced to a disputed link between his phone and the attack.

Murphy and another republican, Seamus Daly, are seeking to overturn a High Court verdict that identified compelling and overwhelming evidence of their connection to the Real IRA atrocity, in which 29 people were killed in August 1998.

Although no one has ever been convicted in a criminal court, relatives of some victims brought a landmark civil action against those they suspected of being connected.

Murphy, a Dundalk-based contractor and publican, and his former employee Daly, from Cullaville, Co Monaghan, have already successfully appealed once against being held responsible, in an initial ruling in 2009.

Two other men, convicted Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt and fellow dissident republican Liam Campbell, failed to have the findings against them overturned.

During a retrial it was claimed that Murphy supplied mobile phones to the bomb team.

Daly was allegedly linked by a call made on one of the phones just after the explosion.

In March, a second High Court judge ruled both men were liable on the balance of probabilities.

He identified compelling circumstantial evidence that two mobiles linked to Murphy were used in the attack.

The same verdict was returned against Daly.

The ruling left both defendants liable for an award of damages previously set at £1.6m.

But as their second appeal hearing began in Belfast this week, defence lawyers disputed the strength of the case against them.

Dermot Fee QC, for Murphy, insisted: “There’s no evidence these phones were in contact with anyone engaged in terrorist activity.”

Murphy’s reason for refusing to testify was previously given as being due to his lack of confidence in the judicial system.

Mr Fee stressed that much of the original case against his client – including the emails of FBI spy David Rupert – is no longer being relied upon.

The hearing continues.

Source: Belfast Telegraph

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• Omagh accused fail to have appeals adjourned (talkofthetown.ie)

Dundalk keep the pressure on table-toppers with back-to-back wins over Coolmine

Dundalk RFC got back to winning ways in the Leinster League Division 1A on Friday night when they travelled to Coolmine and beat the hosts 27-23.

The Mill Road men ensured they made it six wins out of seven to keep the pressure on league leaders Wanderers, who beat them in their last outing at Lansdowne Road.

Dundalk got off to a dream start when Isaia Petelo got over for a try, which Ultan Murphy converted. Murphy and fell out-half Donal Crotty then exchanged two penalties each to lead 13-6 at the break.

The visitors grabbed a second try just before the break when good work from Jonathan Williams saw him play a pivotal role in setting up Owen McNally for a second try, which again Murphy converted.

That left it 20-6 but a converted try from Coolmine ensured they cut the deficit to 20-13 at half-time.

Dundalk restored their advantage with another McNally try and Murphy conversion putting them 27-13 ahead shortly after the restart.

However, Coolmine fought back to close the gap to four after taking advantage of Petelo being sin-binned.

It was Dundalk who finished the stronger, however, and they were unlucky not to get across the line late on for what would have been a bonus point try.

Next up for Dundalk is Portadown away in the quarter-final of the AIL Cup this Saturday.

Dundalk: U. Murphy, R’O Hagan, I. Petelo, MJ McKevitt, O. McNally, J. Williams, T. Campbell, J. McConnon, B. Hadden, S. Martin, C. O’Hanlon, M. Bentley, J.Smith, J. Gray, R. Farrell Subs: C. Brannigan, L. Steen, E. Faatau, S. Murphy, J. Shields

There was also good news for Dundalk 2nds at the weekend as they beat Coolmine 21-16 to inflict a first defeat of the season on the tabletoppers and close the gap on them to five points.

A try and penalty from James Shields had Dundalk 8-0 ahead early on before two Coolmine penalties cut the deficit back to two. Shields added a further penalty after that before Kieran Lenehan got over for a second try before the break to leave it 16-6 at the interval.

Two unconverted tries on the restart had Coolmine level, however, but a second Lenehan try with seven minutes remaining ensured Dundalk took the victory.

Dundalk 2nds: Errol Boyle, Robert Shields, James Shields, Kieran Lenehen, Pearse Campbell, Donal Clare, Simon Byrne, Connor Williams, Sean Arrowsmith, Stephen Soreghen, Connor Kane, Brian Crosbie, Diarmuid  Sloane, John McGahon, Greg Whately. Subs Vincent Perez, Will Lauaki.

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• Dundalk’s title hopes hit by defeat to Wanderers (talkofthetown.ie)
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• Dundalk to face Portadown in next round of All-Ireland Junior Cup (talkofthetown.ie)

Child rapist has been living locally for five years

Kevin Murphy

The Sunday World reported at the weekend that a child rapist has been living in Dundalk for the past five years.

Kevin Murphy, originally from Co Kerry, has been residing locally since his release from prison in 2008 but his past was unknown to even his girlfriend.

The 36-year-old had settled down with a local woman and her kids. However, little did she know that her partner had a conviction for raping a 12-year-old girl.

Murphy was jailed for six years in 2004 for raping the child in her bed after a boozy night out but was released after four years of his sentence.

In court, the construction worker claimed he had “mistaken” the girl for her mother after a night’s heavy drinking.

According to the Sunday World, a number of other child abuse allegations had been made against Murphy in the past though.

The local woman is understood to have ended her relationship with Murphy after learning about his past.

Murphy had been living in Louth Village until last year and was spotted in Dundalk as recently as last month.

Source: Revealed – Child rapist Kevin Murphy (Sunday World)