Laois farm family seek justice for son and brother, Joe Drennan
A Laois farm family has launched a campaign seeking justice for their beloved son and brother, Joe Drennan, who was killed in a horrific hit-and-run accident in Limerick in October 2023.
The victim's father, Tim Drennan, runs a 70ac forestry enterprise with 40-80 cattle in Camross, while his wife, Marguerite, works with her sisters in their family pub, The Fountain House, in Mountrath.
The couple and their children were left devastated with the sentence handed down Joe's killer at Limerick Circuit Court recently.
21-year-old Joe, who was the youngest in the family, was a fourth-year University of Limerick journalism student, and editor of the student newspaper, Limerick Voice.
He was killed as he stood at a bus stop near the university, after finishing a shift in his part-time restaurant job.
The driver of the car, Kieran Fogarty from Limerick city, also 21, was jailed after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of the Laois student and failing to offer any assistance to Joe as he lay dying under Fogarty's car.
Judge Colin Daly imposed a six-and-a-half year sentence for dangerous driving causing death, as well as an eight-year sentence for an unrelated drive-by shooting in June of 2023.
The sentences are to run concurrently - at the same time - meaning he will serve no additional time for the death of Joe, said Tim. Both crimes were committed while Fogarty was on bail and disqualified from driving.
After the sentencing, Tim addressed the judge about the short time Fogarty will spend in prison. The Drennan family is calling for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review the sentence.
They said that the longer sentence for the drive-by shooting means no extra time for killing Joe, and that the sentences should run consecutively - one after another.
Tim said that his son, Richard, rings the office of the DPP every day to the same response, that it's a process and they have to wait.
"Joe was my son, he was not a process. We have no control over anything or any say," he said.
"We don't know what's going on and it seems that the law is more weighted in favour of criminals. Why is everything being dragged out so long when guilt was admitted? It has had an awful impact on us.
"Joe's friend since junior infants called to the house to be with us after the sentencing. She gave us a big hug and said that day was as bad as the day he died," Tim said.
The support that the family has got for the #JusticeForJoe campaign in rural Laois as well as in the University of Limerick where Joe was held in great affection by both students and lecturers, has been heartening, said Tim who has a number of chronic health conditions.
"Having to keep the farm going has helped but you have a lot of time to think in farming," he said.
"At the moment, we have somewhere to go every day and the phone never stops ringing.
"There is a petition calling for the reform of consecutive sentencing laws in Ireland on Change.org and gatherings including one in Mountrath on Sunday next at 1:00p.m, organised by the GAA.
"But when this dies down, you're left on your own.
"Joe always worked for justice and he always wanted to be in the spotlight. Now it's us that are in the spotlight and it's not a place we want to be," said Tim.
He laughed heartily when asked if Joe was involved in the farm.
"He absolutely hated the sight of it. One day when I wasn't here he went down to feed the calves who weren't behaving themselves very well.
"His response was: 'The sooner you f...... are beef burgers, the better. ' In fairness to the chap, he would help out when needed but he was never going to be a farmer."
