Judge tells farmers: ‘Life is too short’ to be at war

Two West Cork men, who aren’t immediate neighbours but who own adjoining lands, were yesterday told by a judge “life is too short” to be at war with each other.

“I’m sure they are decent people and have other things to do rather than sit in a courtroom,” Judge John O’Neill said at Skibbereen District Court.

The background to what was described as a long, lingering dispute between the farmers was not divulged, but Judge O’Neill said: “I don’t want to know. What I have to say may go in one ear and out the other, but they should try and get on with each other instead of having this worry of going out on the road and afraid to meet their neighbour.”

Before the court was widower John Dennehy, aged 60, from Keelove-nogue, Drinagh, who admitted a charge of driving without consideration and leaving the scene of an accident on Jul 8 last year.

Insp Ronan Kennelly, prosecuting, said Garda Geraldine Doyle arrived at Keelovenogue and found Diarmuid Lucey from Drinagh West, Dunmanway, the only person at the scene.

He said Mr Lucey had claimed Mr Dennehy’s red Toyota Corolla had crashed into his van. After an exchange of abuse, the defendant, it was alleged, drove away from the scene.

The inspector said Garda Doyle arrived at the defendant’s house and Mr Dennehy claimed he left the scene because he was “scared”. She spotted a scratch on the Toyota but saw no visual damage to Mr Lucey’s van although it later emerged he got a quote for €1,300 damage.

A charge against Mr Lucey, meanwhile, was withdrawn before proceedings commenced yesterday.

Insp Kennelly said the men don’t reside beside each other but Mr Lucey has a farm at Keelovenogue.

Solicitor Liam O’Donovan said there were “long outstanding issues” between the parties relating to land disputes and boundaries.

“It would have boiled down to one party’s word against the other but we are, in a way, pleading to dispense with the matter.”

Judge O’Neill said it was probably out of character for Mr Dennehy to find himself before the court. The judge said he “hoped there wouldn’t be a situation where Mr Lucey would say, ‘Ah, the charge against me was pulled’.”

Suggesting it was a terrible shame for two men in the same line of business and regularly meeting each other on a narrow road to be having long-running issues, the judge repeatedly advised them “life is too short”.

He found the case proved against Mr Dennehy but applied the Probation Act.