Father and son charged with assault of family members in West Cork further remanded in custody

Father and co-accused Jerry Brennan Snr leaves Bantry Court after a previous hearing. Picture: Andy Gibson

A father and son charged in connection with the stabbing of two brothers in an alleged feud over land in West Cork have again appeared before Clonakilty District Court.

Jerry Brennan Snr, aged 77, and his son William, aged 33, are charged with assaulting Jerry Brennan Jnr and John Brennan and producing knives at the family home in Dunmanway earlier this month.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directions had not yet been given and the State was seeking a further remand in custody until September 3, Sergeant Tom Mulcahy told the court.

William Brennan, an electrical engineer who had been working in Holland, has a “very high” income and assets that would need to be valued before legal aid could be considered, Judge Brendan O’Reilly said.

“His weekly income is very high. And there are assets there that are not valued that should be valued for the next day,” Judge O’Reilly said.

“I will have to reserve legal aid until the next statement of means — certain assets here have not been valued.” 

William Brennan consented to being remanded in custody until September 3, but requested through his solicitor that he be presented to court in Clonakilty on September 3, and not to appear via videolink.

His father, Jerry Brennan Snr, represented by solicitor Myra Dinneen, consented to appear via videolink on September 3.

Jerry Brennan Snr’s wife stared intently at her husband, son and Judge O’Reilly throughout the proceedings.

Both men have an address at 2 Long Bridge in Dunmanway, Co Cork.

Ongoing feud

Previously, Garda Jonathan O’Donovan told a special sitting of Bantry District Court that a feud had been ongoing for 14 years between a mother, father, and their three sons over a will and the distribution of property at Ballyhalwick townland in Dunmanway.

William Brennan has been charged with assault causing harm to his older brothers John Brennan and Jerry Brennan Jnr.

He has also been charged with producing a hunting knife in a manner that was likely to intimidate at Ballyhalwick in Dunmanway.

Mr Brennan Snr is charged with assault causing harm to his sons John Brennan and Jerry Brennan Jnr at Ballyhalwick.

He is also charged with producing a one to two inch pocket knife in the course of the dispute.

Det Gda O’Donovan told a court on Monday that gardaí were called to Ballyhalwick at 7.05pm on August 17, 2024, as Jerry Brennan Jnr and John Brennan had been stabbed at the house allegedly “over a piece of land”.

Det Garda O’Donovan said that Jerry Jnr suffered a severed artery in his arm whilst John Brennan incurred a punctured lung.

On Monday, Judge O’Reilly had asked if it was a fair characterisation to say that it was “a dispute over land and the blood is up”. Det Garda O’Donovan agreed that it was.

William Brennan wore a dark suit, blue striped tie and light blue checked shirt in court on Thursday.

His father wore a brown tweed jacket, brown jumper and check shirt.