Man on €100k drugs charge complains over transfer through NI to Donegal court - Donegal Daily

An independent surety for a man facing charges relating to the seizure of €100,000 worth of cocaine last week has been refused.Donegal District Court heard that...

An independent surety for a man facing charges relating to the seizure of €100,000 worth of cocaine last week has been refused.

Donegal District Court heard that a large portion of a €30,000 independent surety for the bail of Sligo man Patrick Irwin had come from a company “under investigation” by the authorities.

Irwin was brought to Ballyshannon courthouse by four officers from the Irish Prison Service.

At the outset of the hearing, Irwin told Judge Ciaran Liddy that he had been brought to Ballyshannon through Northern Ireland “without authorisation”.

Irwin, 44, of Carrowgubaddagh, Ballisodare, Co Sligo, was charged with having one kilo and nine grammes of cocaine for the purpose of selling or supplying to another, at Keadue West, Co. Roscommon on August 16, 2026.

The cocaine, valued at €100,000, was found in a vehicle being driven by Irwin which was stopped by Gardai.

Last week, at a special sitting of Sligo District Court, Judge Liddy set bail at €5,000 in his own bond, with one independent surety of €30,000, of which €10,000 is to be lodged in cash.

Members of his family were present in the courtroom in Ballyshannon.

Judge Liddy told Irwin - who has had to surrender his passport and stay out of licensed premises - that “this is a surety hearing” after he made some complaints to the court.

A surety was proposed on behalf of Irwin, but Gardai told the court that they were objecting to it.

Sergeant Brendan Burke told the court that a surety had been volunteered by Patrick Irwin Jnr, a son of the accused man.

The court heard that Mr Irwin Jnr has been residing in Australia and documents showed that a sum of €13,000 had been transferred into his bank account, including €10,000 of which was transferred by a company linked to the Irwin family.

The court was told that the €10,000 cash lodgement would also be provided by the same company.

Sergeant Burke advised the court that the company was currently the subject of an investigation surrounding organised crime.

“We believe that an independent surety should be independent of family and associates,” he said. “I don’t believe that Patrick Irwin Jnr is by any means independent and the money is part-funded by a company being investigated.”

Irwin, who has no legal representation due to the ongoing industrial dispute involving criminal legal aid solicitors, spoke himself. He said that his son has no criminal convictions and the company concerned is not the subject of any criminal proceedings.

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“To come up with €30,000 is high,” Irwin said. “It has come from a company, from friends and from family. It is all legit, your Honour. Tax returns have been done. I don’t see why he (Mr Irwin Jnr) couldn’t be an independent surety.

“€30,000 is a strong ask. You know where the funds came from; it isn’t as if it has been made up.”

Irwin added that he has “always presented myself in court” and added “My son has come back to see me. I haven’t seen him for 10 months. He saved some money which he will lend me to seek bail. He is my son. If it was him here, I would be here to try and get bail for him.”

Sergeant Oliver Devaney told the court that the State was objecting on a number of grounds, including that Mr Irwin Jnr hasn’t been residing in this jurisdiction. The court was told that he has been in Australia for 10 months and recently returned to Ireland. However, he is due to fly Down Under again in the coming weeks.

“He will not be amenable to Gardai, if required,” Sergeant Devaney added. “It has been comprehensively outlined that the funds being proposed are not independent of the accused.”

Mr Irwin Jnr attempted to address the court, but Judge Liddy advised him that he had no right of audience.

Judge Liddy said that he has noted the concerns of An Garda Siochana regarding funds being offered from a company that is presently under investigation.

“I have to be satisfied that the movies to be received come from a legitimate source,” Judge Liddy said. “That may well be legitimate, but that has yet to be established. On the basis that the company is presently under investigation, I am not satisfied that the money being offered is money that can lawfully be offered to the court.”

Judge Liddy said that a surety is something that should “weigh heavily” on the person offering it and noted that a large amount of money had been transferred to certain bank accounts,

“The money for a surety is to be of such a value to their lives that the person will ensure your cooperation and compliance,” Judge Liddy said. “I want an independent surety to demonstrate that it means something to their livelihood, money that has been saved to be put forward. A large amount of money landing from a company and from other sources is not the surety that I had in mind.”

The case was adjourned until September 3 at Sligo District Court.

Before his matter was heard, Irwin, who is on remand at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin, told Judge Liddy: “On the way here, I was brought into Northern Ireland, into Enniskillen, without authorisation. I was threatened that If I didn’t shut up, he would throw me out by the neck.”

Holding a piece of paper, Irwin said he had “marked the route” taken, including via Blanchardstown and Cavan and added: “They brought me into Northern Ireland without authorisation. The Irish Prison Service has no right to bring me into Northern Ireland. They realised and started panicking and then went arse about face.”

Irwin asked that he call each of the prison officers as a witness. Judge Liddy told Irwin that he had no jurisdiction in that matter and said he could possibly take it up at “another venue”.