Gardaí to speak with McNamara’s son over pitch driving incident

THE son of Euro Millions winner Dolores McNamara may face court action after driving a van through a soccer field while an under-age game was in progress.

Gary McNamara, aged 28, claims people attending soccer games in Castleconnell are continually blocking the entrance to a site where he is building a €1 million mansion and he “has had enough”.

On Sunday afternoon, when he found the entrance to his site blocked by cars parked by people attending a game, he drove a van down the middle of the pitch while an under-17 soccer tie was in progress.

According to witnesses, the vehicle spun when travelling at speed and allegedly endangered young players who ran for safety.

Gardaí in Castleconnell yesterday confirmed they had received complaints and they intend to speak with Mr McNamara with a view to preparing a file for the DPP on the matter.

Sergeant Bernard McDonagh said an investigation was under way.

After the incident, Mr McNamara claimed people were jealous of him because he could build a big house.

A spokesman for Lisnagry soccer club, which fielded one of the two teams involved in Sunday’s game, claimed Mr McNamara had behaved in a scurrilous manner.

He said: “You had 22 kids on the field.”

Although the field was badly cut up by Mr McNamara’s action, the game proceeded after he moved his vehicle off the playing area.

The master bedroom in his mansion will be nearly the size of the penalty box on the nearby soccer pitch and the bathroom will cover 10sq m.

He plans to move out of his €360,000 home in Castleconnell village when the mansion is habitable.

One local said: “He doesn’t associate at all with anybody here in Castleconnell.”