Number of children testify at Kerry murder trial

Thomas Dooley who was fatally wounded at an incident at Rath Cemetery in Tralee during a funeral service there. Picture via Facebook

The prosecution case against five men and a teenager charged with the murder of a father of seven at a funeral in Tralee has gone into its second week.

Each of the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering 43-year-old Tom Dooley from Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, at New Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, County Kerry, on October 5, 2022.

Five defendants in the case — all with the surname Dooley — Patrick, 36, from Arbutus Grove, Killarney; Thomas, 43, from the halting site, Carrigrohane Road; Thomas Jnr, 21, from the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork; Michael, 29, of the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, and Daniel, 42, of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, County Kerry, are on trial, as is the sixth defendant who is a teenager.

Only 21-year-old Thomas Dooley Jnr faces the second charge that he intentionally or recklessly caused serious harm to Siobhán Dooley, the wife of the deceased man. He has pleaded not guilty in respect of this count also.

Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring told the jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, that the case was expected to go on until the end of July. The jury, including three substitute members, consists of 13 men and two women.

Siobhán Dooley, widow of the man killed in the cemetery in Tralee testified that her family were not speaking to another Dooley family because her daughter refused to marry one of them in 2019 but added that she would not describe it as a falling out.

The judge and jury heard from a number of children who were called as witnesses on Monday.