Four wins at Dundalk Stadium for Joseph O’Brien

Joseph O’Brien was in excellent form as he rode a 259-1 four-timer at Dundalk Stadium last night.

The champion jockey began the meeting with a fine positive ride on Antiques (5-2fav) in the Christmas Party Packages At Dundalk Stadium Handicap.

Joanna Morgan’s filly was soon in front and never really looked like getting caught as she held Majestic Timeline by a length and a quarter to justify favouritism for the second time in less than a week.

O’Brien had to work harder to score on Deep Speed in the Dundalk Stadium – Light Up Your Night Maiden.

The 2-1 co-favourite tracked leader Lean And Kean into the home straight before the pair knuckled down for a thrilling battle, with Paul Hickey’s representative eventually getting half a length in front close home.

O’Brien did well to get Mountain Coral (9-2) up in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race & Stay Package Handicap.

The 2009 Scurry Handicap winner ended a two-year drought as he hit the front well inside the final furlong and was all out to hold fast-finishing favourite Miller Beach by half a length.

The young jockey’s best ride of the night came on Habesh (7-2), who looked in trouble turning for home in the Crowne Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Handicap.

Once in the straight, Eugene O’Sullivan’s gelding really began to motor and made up plenty of late ground to deny Vim by half a length.

The feature race went to Quadrivium as the 15-2 shot made a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund (C & G) Maiden.

Closely related to some smart sorts from North America, the Henrythenavigator colt quickly went about repaying some of the $120,000 he cost connections at the Keeneland Sales with a determined victory.

David Wachman’s representative had pacesetter Vector Force in his sights rounding the home turn and showed an attitude to match his ability to wear that rival down with three quarters of a length to spare.

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No retrial for O’Brien

Barry O’Brien

The State will not seek a retrial in the case of a local man who had one of his two convictions for IRA membership quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal last year.

Mr Damien Colgan SC this morning told the Special Criminal Court that the State wished to enter a “Nolle Prosequi”, in other words not proceed with the retrial of Barry O’Brien.

The 41-year-old father of five from Stonetown near Dundalk, was convicted in December 2010 of membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hEireann, otherwise the IRA on April 6, 2004.

He was jailed for three years and nine months by the Special Criminal Court in February 2011.

On July 2 2012 the Court of Criminal Appeal ruled it would quash the conviction imposed by the Special Criminal Court and direct a retrial of Mr O’Brien.

He had appealed against his conviction on the basis that the warrant issued for his arrest was invalid because it was issued by the Superintendant in charge of the investigation.

Last year the Supreme Court declared that section 29 (1) of the Offences Against the State Act (as inserted by section 5 of the Criminal Law Act 1976) was repugnant to the Constitution, as it permitted a search of a person’s home on foot of a warrant not issued by an independent person.

The court found that Article 40.5 of the Constitution expressly provides that a person’s home is inviolable and shall not be forcibly entered except in accordance with the law.

Three weeks after his 2011 conviction was overturned, O’Brien was convicted by the Special Criminal Court of membership of the IRA on August 8th, 2010.

He was sentenced to five years with three years suspended but was released on bond after the non-jury court ordered the sentence to commence on the date of the charge.

Counsel for the defendant, Ms Deirdre Murphy SC, asked the court to excuse her client’s non-attendance at the hearing as his car had suffered a puncture en-route to court.

Ms Murphy told the three-judge court that bail money also needed to be paid out to O’Brien.

Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding at the Special Criminal Court, said the court would make all necessary ancillary orders to the entering of the Nolle Prosequi by the State.