Man who 'destroyed floor' of Clare cathedral by defecating on it gets six months in prison

The Ennis man also urinated in a jail cell at Ennis Garda Station

The incident happened at the St Peter and Paul Cathedral on Ennis’s O’Connell Street last November. File picture: Dan Linehan

A judge has jailed a 42-year-old Ennis man for six months arising from an incident where he "destroyed the floor" of a Catholic cathedral building in Ennis by defecating on it.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett imposed the six-month prison term on Richard McDermott of no fixed abode after he pleaded guilty to the criminal damage of the St Peter and Paul Cathedral on Ennis’s O’Connell Street on November 12, 2025.

Judge Gabbett imposed a three-month term on Mr McDermott for the criminal damage charge of defecating on the floor of the St Peter and Paul Cathedral and a consecutive one-month prison term for the criminal damage of a prison cell at Ennis Garda Station after urinating in it later on November 12.

Judge Gabbett said Mr McDermott had "destroyed the floor or Fr Tom Ryan's Cathedral" by defecating on it. The judge imposed a consecutive two-month prison term for public order offences on the date to bring the total sentence to six months.

Garda testimony

Garda Thomas Murray told the court that Mr McDermott has 97 previous convictions and committed 57 while on bail. He said 59 of the previous convictions are public order offences.

Garda Murray said: “Richard McDermott has a significant alcohol addiction issue which resulted in progressively abusive and violent behaviour in Ennis town and to the community in the past number of months.

Judge Gabbett said: “It is particularly sad that a man’s life is being wasted on the streets of Ennis when he should be getting treatment.” 

Garda Murray said that on November 12 at 5.30pm gardaí received a call that a group of intoxicated males were hassling mass goers at the cathedral in Ennis. Garda Murray said Mr McDermott “was visibly intoxicated and abusing churchgoers and the priest. He was telling members of the gardai, members of the public and myself to ‘F*ck off’”.

Garda Murray said: "Mr McDermott was given directions to leave the area and failed repeatedly and told us to f*ck off. He was then arrested and upon doing so he said ‘f**k off’ again and then proceeded to defecate on the cathedral floor.

“He lashed out at ourselves during arrest and resisted being put in the van. On arrival at the station he further obstructed us and had to be manhandled into the cell and while in the cell he urinated all over the floor."

Garda Murray said Mr McDermott “was caught red-handed by ourselves and I saw everything concerning the offences alleged”. Before Judge Gabbett imposed sentence for the criminal damage offences, Garda Murray objected to bail for Mr McDermott.

He said: "Should this man receive bail I am of the firm belief that he will commit further offences and cause a great deal of distress to the people of Ennis.” 

Defence

Solicitor, Tara Godfrey for Mr McDermott, said her instructions are that Mr McDermott has a significant issue around alcoholism and more often than not he finds himself homeless around the streets.

Ms Godfrey said Mr McDermott was homeless at the time and homeless services had not kept a bed for him for a variety of reasons. She said: “He was very cold and went into the church to get warm."

Explaining how Mr McDermott defecated on the church floor, Ms Godfrey said he had taken a lot of alcohol and he suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and has other medical conditions.

Ms Godfrey said Mr McDermott has been a client of the Brothers of Charity and has an intellectual disability and special needs.