Cork man fined for travelling to Wales to buy car during lockdown

The 24-year-old was stopped by police travelling back to the port during his roundtrip of almost 900 miles. Photo: Brian Lawless

A man who travelled from Cork to Wales to buy a car has been fined by police for breaching coronavirus travel restrictions.

According to WalesOnline, Harry O'Rourke, of Ballinluska, Crosshaven, Cork, travelled to Plymouth during the UK’s first national lockdown in May of last year.

The 24-year-old was stopped by Dyfed-Powys Police travelling back to the Pembroke Dock port during his roundtrip of almost 900 miles.

When pulled over, Mr O’Rourke told police he had travelled to "pick the vehicle up.” Mr O'Rourke was ordered to pay over £1,000 (€1,140) at Carmarthen Magistrates' Court in Llanelli on Monday, February 8.

In total, he was ordered to pay £1,295 (€1,476.5), which consisted of a £1,100 (€1,254) fine, £85 (€96.9) in costs and a £110 (€125) victim surcharge.

This comes as fines in Ireland for non-essential foreign travel are to be quadrupled from €500 to €2,000.

Figures released by the Government show that more than 5,200 people landed in Dublin Airport last week who were travelling for non-essential reasons.

Irish holidaymakers continue to make up two-thirds of those landing here.

Assistant secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach, Liz Canavan, said this figure was a “very concerning statistic.” "While we would all love and need a holiday, now is not the time to travel," she said.