Footballer failed breath test morning after wedding

A prominent inter-county GAA footballer who failed a breath test the morning after a wedding was banned yesterday from driving for a year.

Christopher Barrett, who plays for last year’s All-Ireland finalists Mayo, was also fined €350 by Judge Mary Devins at Westport District Court.

The court heard just before 9am on Apr 28, 2012, Barrett, from Barnatra, Ballina, Co Mayo, was spotted by Garda Hugh McHugh with a mobile phone in his hand as he emerged from Knockranny House Hotel, Westport, onto the main N5 road.

The accused had been at a wedding in the hotel on the previous day and had stayed overnight in a local B&B before returning to the hotel the following morning to collect his Volkswagen Golf car.

Garda McHugh said he signalled Barrett to stop after seeing him in the car holding a phone to his ear. He testified that he demanded a breath test from Barrett which showed a reading of 45 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. He added that the accused was also not wearing a seatbelt.

In evidence, Barrett “denied 100%” being on a mobile phone. He admitted not wearing a seatbelt at the time.

Barrett’s solicitor Samantha Geraghty said & her client was on an internship with a firm in Dublin and needed a car for work and travelling to Mayo for training sessions with the county team.