Man, 19, charged after tourist assault

A 19-year-old man has been charged with assault causing harm to an Irish-Canadian woman who was visiting Ireland as part of the Gathering earlier this month.

Portlaoise District Court was informed that Gary Ward, of Scurragh, Birr, Co Offaly, replied “it still wasn’t me” when he was charged with assaulting Marie Gauvin, 58, at Keel’s Arch, Birr, on Aug 4.

Ms Gauvin suffered serious eye injuries requiring 23 stitches and she lost the sight in her right eye after she was struck by a beer bottle.

The mother of one, who is originally from Birr but lives in Ontario, Canada, was a bystander when a public order incident kicked off nearby at Keel’s Arch.

Some hours earlier, Ms Gauvin’s father, Frank Wrafter, 84, acted as grand marshal in the town’s annual vintage parade.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy ordered Mr Ward to be remanded on bail to appear before Birr District Court on Sep 10 and granted legal aid to his solicitor, Bernadette Owens.

Bail conditions were imposed at the request of Inspector Declan Dunne.

Mr Ward is to sign on three times a week, observe a nightly curfew and have no contact in any way with any witness in the case.

A file is being prepared for the DPP.