Footballer donates to victim’s charities

Dublin football star Diarmuid Connolly has paid €5,000 to charities nominated by a man whose eye socket he fractured during an unprovoked attack in a pub.

Connolly, aged 25, has pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Anthony Kelly at McGowan’s public house in Phibsboro, Dublin, in the early hours of Aug 6 last year.

An unreserved apology, which was accepted by Mr Kelly, had been issued by Connolly’s lawyer last month during a hearing at Dublin District Court.

Mr Kelly had shook hands with Connolly following that hearing but had refused to accept compensation from him. He had asked that the €5,000 offered be split evenly and given to the Barnardos children’s charity and the Rape Crisis Centre.

Yesterday, the court was furnished with receipts showing Connolly had complied with the order and had donated the money to the charities nominated by Mr Kelly.

The footballer had not been required to attend court yesterday and the case was adjourned in his absence until December, for sentencing.

The attack happened less than two days after Dublin defeated Laois in a quarter-final of the All Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Connolly, who also plays for north Dublin club St Vincent’s, has no prior criminal convictions, and his offence carries a possible sentence of up to one year in jail and/or a fine.

In an outline of the prosecution’s evidence given earlier, the court had been told the unprovoked attack happened at 3.40am in McGowan’s pub.

“Everything has cleared up now,” the court heard regarding Kelly’s injuries.

Judge Patrick Clyne noted Connolly’s early guilty plea, the compensation offer, and the attendant publicity in the case.

Dublin District Court has also heard that Mr Kelly intends to take a civil action against the footballer.