Accused had shouted Cork postman 'is laid out now' on night of alleged murder, trial told

Another witness told the Doneraile murder trial: 'You could see he was gone. He was very pale, there was blood on his face'

There has been evidence of a punch by Barry Daly (pictured) to a young woman’s mouth earlier in the night where it has been variously described as deliberate and accidental. File picture

A witness in the Doneraile murder trial described seeing three people coming from the direction of the deceased man’s home and heard the shout: “Barry thought he was smart, hitting a girl, he is laid out now.” 

There has been evidence of a punch by the deceased man to a young woman’s mouth earlier in the night where it has been variously described as deliberate and accidental.

A teenager who knew the three accused and saw them in the early hours of October 12, 2025, testified on Monday: “I met the three boys coming down. I saluted them. None of them said anything back to me.” 

20-year-old Alex Deady and two juveniles, aged 16 and 17 at the time, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are on trial charged with murdering 44-year-old postman, Barry Daly at Rockview Terrace in Doneraile on October 12, 2025. 

Alex Deady, 20, and the 17-year-old pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The 16-year-old simply pleaded not guilty to murder.

The witness testified: “Alex had no top on. They definitely seemed angry alright. I think they were yelling. (16-year-old) was not yelling, he was quiet enough. One of the boys was yelling, 'Barry thought he was smart, hitting a girl, he is laid out now.'

“Two or three days later I met (16-year-old) outside Londis. He asked me, 'has anyone mentioned my name?' I said I had not heard anything and I hadn’t said anything. He said stay safe,” the witness said.

Another witness — a teenaged friend of two of the people accused of murdering Barry Daly — testified that he got a phone call from the 16-year-old defendant at 4am that morning.

“(16-year-old) said to me there was a big argument in the pub. Him and (17-year-old defendant) went down. They heard Alex was there. They ended up going up to Barry Daly’s. (16-year-old) said he was falling behind, that he couldn’t catch up to the two lads.

“When he got there he seen Alex hit Barry Daly and he seen (17-year-old) hit him in the ribs. He saw Alex hit him with a golf club into the stomach,” the witness said of the 4am Snapchat phone call.

Prosecution senior counsel Lorcan Staines asked the witness what the 16-year-old defendant said of the 17-year-old. The witness replied: “That he punched him in the ribs. After that they ran back down through the town. They threw the club, he didn’t say where. I am guessing they went home.” 

The witness said he went to the 16-year-old’s house the next morning after he woke at 9am and that the 17-year-old was also there. He said both teenagers looked shocked.

The three teenagers got into another teenager’s car later and all of them went to Mallow. He said that in the journey the 16-year-old told him: “He was just shocked. He didn’t know what to do.” 

Without specifying who was speaking, the witness said: “I remember them telling me that when they left he was still alive. They said something happened after. They don’t think it was them that killed him.” 

After returning from Mallow they played Playstation.

Friends' testimony

Four friends who were celebrating the hurling team’s victory in the Junior B Hurling final — Caelan Jones, Conor O’Brien, Dean Lucey and Conor McSweeney — all gave evidence on Monday of being in Doneraile and going up to the home of Barry Daly at around 2am on October 12.

Caelan Jones testified: “We saw Barry. I ran to the door. I rang the doorbell. Joan, Barry’s mother-in-law answered the door. I said, 'Barry is on the ground'. I never seen anything like it. Blood was on his face. His eyes were kind of popping out of his head, like.” 

Conor O’Brien recalled a row in Doneraile and that he saw Barry Daly walking towards home. He saw Alex Deady minutes later with a golf club and he was with two others. He said the 17-year-old had a golf club as well, adding: “I’m not sure about the other fella (the 16-year-old).

“We decided to go up, see if we could separate them up. We saw Barry lying in his driveway. You could see he was gone. He was very pale, there was blood on his face,” Conor O’Brien said.

Conor McSweeney said: “I panicked seeing him. I tried to check his pulse. Blood was coming from his mouth, his eyes wide open, no moving or anything.” 

Dean Lucey said as they approached Barry Daly’s house in a car they saw three people walking back towards town. 

He said: “They were holding golf clubs, I couldn’t see. Who was holding what. I seen Barry lying on his back between two gates. He was unresponsive… I rang the ambulance.” 

The trial before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury of seven women and five men continues at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.