Cork farmer given until April to arrange farm affairs before two-year drink-driving ban

James O’Sullivan was stopped by gardaí after his car was seen swerving, with a breath test recording 45 micrograms of alcohol

A breath test returned a reading of 45 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. Had it been 44 micrograms, the ban would have been for one year, the court heard.

A Cork farmer who was stopped after his car was seen swerving has been given until April 2027 to arrange the running of his farm before beginning a two-year driving ban.

James O’Sullivan, 66, of Cloughduv House, Crookstown, was convicted of drink-driving at Macroom District Court.

The court heard that gardaí saw a car swerving on the road at about 12.25am on May 25, 2026.

They stopped the vehicle a short distance from O’Sullivan’s home and formed the opinion that he was intoxicated. A breath test returned a reading of 45 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

O’Sullivan had one previous drink-driving conviction, dating from 2004. Defence solicitor Patrick Goold said his client had made “a grave error”.

He said O’Sullivan had been in a public house and should not have decided to drive home. Mr Goold said his client ran a dry-stock farm and needed time to arrange for family members to take over aspects of its day-to-day running.

He said the reading was just above the threshold for the mandatory two-year disqualification. Had it been 44 micrograms, the ban would have been for one year, he said.

Judge Joanne Carroll convicted O’Sullivan, disqualified him from driving for two years and fined him €350, allowing four months to pay. She agreed to defer the start of the disqualification until April 1, 2027.

Judge Carroll noted that O’Sullivan was only just in the two-year category and that there had been no accident. A separate charge of careless driving was struck out.

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