Conviction puts Olympic dream at risk

The Olympic dream of a record-holding Irish weightlifter lies in the balance following his guilty pleas to firearm and drug offences.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Michael Collins BL, counsel for Clareman Sean McNamara, pleaded with Judge Gerald Keyes not to impose a jail term as it would dash his client’s ambitions of representing Ireland at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Mr Collins said McNamara, 21, is an All-Ireland and Munster title holder and has recorded two national records in his weight category and age group.