'Wild West stuff' at Clare music festival as bystander shot in buttocks amid row over drug debt

Incident was over a debt and a row between two men about 'the same girl', court told

Tony McInerney, who the court heard was the leader of a large drug network in Co Clare, pleaded guilty in July to the attempted murder of Daniel Harty Junior at Pound Street, Sixmilebridge on January 18, 2020.

An innocent bystander was shot in the buttocks while others dived for cover when a drug dealer opened fire at another man during a music festival. 

The incident was over a debt and a row between two men about "the same girl", the Central Criminal Court was told on Monday.

A detective told Monday’s sentence hearing that "Wild West Stuff" had happened that night in the Co Clare town of Sixmilebridge, with people hiding behind walls and cars.

Tony McInerney, who the court heard was the leader of a large drug network in Co Clare, was initially jailed for 12 years after being caught running a "cocaine factory" in 2020 but the sentence was later reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal.

McInerney, 28, formerly of Glenina, Gort Road, Ennis, Co Clare, pleaded guilty in July to the attempted murder of Daniel Harty Junior at Pound Street, Sixmilebridge on January 18, 2020.

McInerney has also pleaded guilty that on January 18, 2020, at Pound Street, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare, he intentionally or recklessly discharged a firearm creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another.

He further pleaded guilty that on a date unknown between January 1, 2019, and January 18, 2020, at Inis Eagla, Shannon, Co Clare, without lawful excuse, made to Daniel Harty Senior a threat, intending the said Mr Harty Snr to believe it would be carried out, to kill or cause Daniel Harty Junior serious harm.

At Monday's sentence hearing, Detective Sergeant Kevin O'Hagan detailed the background of the event, telling Lorcan Connolly BL, prosecuting, that Mr Harty Snr was at home in mid 2019 when there was a knock at his door.

McInerney was outside and introduced himself to Mr Harty Snr by shaking hands. The defendant enquired about the whereabouts of his son Daniel before making threats that he [Mr Harty Jnr] owed money for drug debts. 

The defendant told Mr Harty Snr that his son was to "pay up" or he would be shot and their home would be sprayed with bullets. The defendant left the house and was followed by Mr Harty Snr, who did not make a complaint to gardaí at that stage but did so subsequently.

Mr Connolly said Mr Harty Jnr was in a local pub when an annual music festival was taking place in Sixmilebridge in January 2020. Mr Harty Jnr was walking to another pub called McGregors in the town about 12.18 that night when a dark coloured BMW jeep was driving up and down the street. The detective said the jeep had been circling up and down the road prior to the incident.

Verbal altercation

Mr Harty Jnr separated from the group he was in and a verbal altercation ensued between him and the occupants of the jeep. 

"As the jeep turned around, Mr Harty Jnr realised something was afoot and ran. At that stage, shots were fired from the jeep," said the witness. Mr Harty Jnr ran to the back of McGregor's pub as McInerney and another man ran after him firing shots.

The court heard another bystander had been walking up the street to McGregor's pub with some friends at the time of the shooting. One of the bullets lodged in his buttocks as the shots were fired out. The detective said this victim was fortunate in the way the bullet was lodged and had spent two days in hospital.

Gardaí identified McInerney, who made a statement to gardaí and gave an explanation "around the motive". The defendant accepted money was owed and there had been a conflict between "the two men in relation to a relationship with the same girl". 

Det Sgt O'Hagan told the court "Wild West stuff happened here" when a big festival was happening in the town.

Det Sgt O'Hagan said the jeep was recovered some days later and nine bullet cases were found inside. The witness said gardaí were satisfied a minimum of nine shots were fired and that residue found inside the jeep matched those bullets.

The detective agreed with prosecution counsel Mr Connolly that Mr Harty Jnr had identified McInerney to gardaí saying: "I know in my heart who that was that shot me."

While McInerney and the other shooter both had guns, the detective said gardaí could not confirm who had fired the exact shots.

McInerney was arrested on February 27, 2021, and detained at Shannon Garda Station, where he was interviewed on five occasions but exercised his right to silence throughout.

The court heard that McInerney had 13 previous convictions which include him being caught in possession of a large amount of drugs for which he received a 10-year sentence. Another previous conviction was for possession of explosives in suspicious circumstances, which the court heard was a pipe bomb.

In his submissions, Michael Collins SC, defending, asked the court to give maximum credit for his client's early guilty plea and that he had apologised "not alone to the victims but to society in general as is proper".

Mr Justice McDermott remanded McInerney in custody until next Monday, when he will be sentenced.