Riot followed bare-knuckle fist battle

A man who caused a riot when he took part in a prearranged bare-knuckle fight which attracted up to 200 spectators in a halting site near Galway City has been given a year to prove his fighting days are over.

Video clips of the illegal fight at Carrowbrowne Halting Site, Headford Rd, Galway, on Jun 12 last year, were put on YouTube and show Patrick “Jaws” Ward, aged 39, fighting Barney McGinley.

Ward, who lived in Rahoon, Galway, at the time but who now lives at 56 Danesfort Drive, Loughrea, with his wife and seven children, pleaded guilty last December before Galway Circuit Criminal to committing an affray in that he and his co-accused, Mr McGinley, used or threatened to use unlawful violence towards each other at the halting site.

When Mr McGinely, aged 35, with addresses in Derry and Ennis, who has since absconded to Wales, was initially charged he had said: “I came to Galway to box Paddy ‘Jaws’ Ward. I took his title from him today and then they turned into mad men.”

Ward claimed he had not wanted to fight but had been taunted by phone and on YouTube by Mr McGinely to a rematch of a fight Ward won in 2008.

Sgt Grace Hennessy told the court that when gardaí became aware there might be a prearranged fight taking place that day, they set up checkpoints around the city.

Up to 200 spectators, including children, had gathered. They blocked roads by abandoning their cars and vans everywhere in an attempt to stop gardaí gaining access to the halting site.

When gardaí did get there, they were told that if they interfered with the fight the crowd would turn on them.

The fight in the playground area lasted six minutes until Ward knocked the other man to the ground. A spectator then knocked Ward’s father to the ground and Ward hit Mr McGinley, who was on the ground.

“This incensed the crowd and chaos erupted. Missiles, such as rocks, golf clubs and wooden stakes were thrown. Gardaí had to draw their batons,” said Sgt Hennessy.

Spectators continued to hurl missiles at each other for about 45 minutes.

Two gardaí recorded the incident on their mobile phones and it was captured on the halting site’s CCTV.

Mr O’Connor asked for sentencing to be adjourned so his client could engage further with the probation service.

Judge Rory McCabe said the appropriate sentence was three years. However, he said, he was willing to give the accused a chance to prove his fighting days were over and adjourned sentencing for a year.