No jail for trio in hotel brawl

The manager of a Killarney hotel where three guests celebrating a confirmation were involved in violent disorder has criticised the suspended sentences handed down to all three at the Circuit Court earlier this week.

The bar manager of the Quality Hotel received five stitches after being struck by a bottle; two gardaí were assaulted; and three other civilians in the bar were also struck, the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee was told this week.

Judge Thomas E O’Donnell sentenced three members of the Dinan family, guests at the hotel, to two years and six months, but suspended all three sentences.

Patrick Dinan, aged 40, and his wife Mary Dinan, aged 42, parents of seven children, two of whom had made their confirmation, of Forest View, Goulds Hill, Mallow, Co Cork; and Mr Dinan’s sister Mary Ann Dinan, aged 22, of Seamus Murphy Place, Mallow, had all admitted violent disorder.

In addition, Patrick Dinan who has 71 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to assaulting two gardaí and to a charge of criminal damage, and his wife Mary pleaded guilty to assaulting two civilians and damage to property.

Mary Ann — who the court was told was now pregnant with her second child — also pleaded guilty to assaulting two civilians and to damaging property.

Another male relative referred to as ‘Mr D’ was to be prosecuted in connection with the incident.

The scene of utter pandemonium was captured on CCTV — bottles, ceramic table lamps, chairs, and glasses were thrown after violence suddenly erupted during a rival sing-song with an extended family of local people, themselves celebrating a christening and in the bar since 5pm.

The incident took place shortly before 1am on the morning of May 19, 2013.

Yesterday, Aidan Moynihan, manager of the Quality Hotel — which is under new ownership and is now called Hotel Killarney — spoke on Radio Kerry, which has received a flood of complaints about the lenient sentence.

“For three people to admit and plead guilty to violent conduct and walk out the door of a courthouse to me is shocking,” Mr Moynihan said. “I just wonder what someone has to do to receive a jail sentence.”

His bar manager — who received five stitches after being struck by a bottle in the head and was out of work for a week — found the sentence “laughable”, said Mr Moynihan.