Kerry man with 579 convictions for drunkenness lost six family members in road accident

Court heard defendant has not been able to beat his alcohol addiction since losing his family in road traffic accident

Defendant was charged with being drunk on Oliver Plunkett Street three times. Picture: Chani Anderson

An unenviable criminal record of 579 convictions has been clocked up by a 55-year-old man — many of them related to drunkenness — as a result of a lifelong inability to cope with a traffic accident which saw six members of his family killed when he was a young man.

Richard O’Brien, of 14 Ardshanavooley, Killarney, Co Kerry, has now pleaded guilty to five more public order charges at Cork District Court.

He admitted being drunk and a danger on five occasions in a one-week period, and engaging in threatening behaviour during one incident in Cork City.

Sergeant John Kelleher said Richard O’Brien had a total of 579 previous convictions. Of those, 362 were for being so intoxicated he was a danger to himself or others, and 63 were for engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace.

Judge Mary Dorgan remarked previously the extent of the defendant’s public order convictions must be a record. Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, referred to that remark by the judge when he was outlining factors in mitigation.

“He describes himself as having a life ruined from alcohol. Six members of his family were killed in a road traffic accident… Since then, he has never been able to beat the alcohol addiction.

“He dries out in prison, he relapses when he gets out — he described it as a vicious circle. To his credit, while there are four drunkenness charges, there is only one of threatening behaviour,” Mr Collins-Daly said.

Judge Dorgan imposed a total prison term of two months on Richard O’Brien.

On December 27, 2025, on Oliver Plunkett Street he was drunk and a danger. On December 29, 2025, again on Oliver Plunkett Street, he was both drunk and threatening. 

On New Year’s Eve — December 31  2025 — on Grand Parade he was drunk again. Later on the same date, he was drunk on Oliver Plunkett Street. Finally, on January 4 this year he was drunk on Castle Street.