Family of student killed in Limerick hit-and-run campaign for sentencing law change
The family of Joe Drennan, 21, a journalism student killed in a hit-and-run in Limerick on 13 October 2023, are calling for sentencing law to be changed after Judge Colin Daly imposed concurrent rather than consecutive sentences on Kieran Fogarty, 19, who was on bail and banned from driving at the time. The family met Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and requested the DPP appeal the sentence so Fogarty would serve 14½ years instead of eight.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced30 Jan
3 reports
Key facts
consolidated from all reports38 statements extracted from the articles
- whatFogarty was on bail and disqualified from driving for road-traffic offences at the time of the crash (irishtimes.com)
- whatDrennan was a 21-year-old University of Limerick journalism student (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty fled the crash scene and failed to offer assistance or alert emergency services (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty attempted to wipe his forensic presence from the car (irishtimes.com)
- whatJoe Drennan was the chief editor of the Limerick Voice, the University of Limerick student newspaper (irishtimes.com)
- whatJoe Drennan worked for Gay Community News (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty had 46 previous convictions including 41 for road traffic offences including dangerous driving (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty was speeding and filming himself on a mobile phone while driving in the moments before the collision (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty broke a red light, collided with another car, and ploughed into a bus stop where Drennan was waiting (irishtimes.com)
- whatJoe Drennan was a journalism student aged 21 who was waiting for a bus when struck by a car. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty had been detected driving at 122km/h in a 50km/h zone before the incident. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty was 19 at the time and was on bail and banned from driving. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty attempted to wipe his DNA from the inside of the car after pinning Drennan underneath the vehicle. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFogarty fled the scene on foot without offering any assistance. (irishtimes.com)
- whereDrennan was standing waiting at a bus stop when struck (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe letter was intercepted by courts services staff at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Mulgrave Street, Limerick City (irishtimes.com)
- whereJoe Drennan was from Mountrath, Co Laois (irishtimes.com)
- whereFogarty lives at Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe fatal crash occurred on 13 October 2023 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe letter was received in February 2025 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe hit-and-run occurred on 13 October 2023 in Limerick. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí matched Fogarty's DNA to material found on a deployed airbag using forensic techniques (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGarda enquiries into the letter are ongoing (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge initially said the hit-and-run sentence would run in addition to the shooting sentence but later corrected this (irishtimes.com)
- courtFogarty pleaded guilty to all offences against him (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe 6½-year sentence would run concurrent to another sentence for firing an automatic weapon (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceFogarty was jailed for eight years for firing a weapon at the front of a house in Limerick city in April 2023 (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceFogarty received further concurrent sentences for violent disorder and possessing cocaine, MDMA and alprazolam for sale or supply (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceFogarty's guilty plea to threatening to kill Raymond Collins jnr in April 2023 was taken into consideration (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceJudge Daly sentenced Kieran Fogarty to six and a half years in prison on January 30th (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceFogarty received further concurrent sentences for violent disorder and possessing drugs for sale or supply, and pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a man in April 2023 (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe hit-and-run sentence of 6½ years was ordered to run concurrently with the shooting sentence. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA vigil and protest march took place in Limerick calling on the DPP to appeal the sentence (irishtimes.com)
- otherFogarty was on bail, subject to several arrest warrants, and banned from driving at the time of the incident (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe family had yet to receive an answer from the DPP to their request for an appeal. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe Drennan family met Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald at Leinster House on Tuesday. (irishtimes.com)
- otherAn online petition seeking a change in the law has generated 11,000 signatures since last week. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe DPP stated it does not comment on individual cases. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 11 Feb2025Family of student killed in hit-and-run want sentencing law changed
Reports the Drennan family's post-sentencing campaign for law reform, their meeting with Mary Lou McDonald at Leinster House, an 11,000-signature petition, and the DPP's refusal to comment on the concurrent sentencing decision.
victim, Joe Drennan, 21, male, irish (judged from name)Joe Drennansuspect, Kieran Fogarty, 19, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kieran Fogarty - 11 Feb2025Gardaí investigate ‘threatening’ letter to judge in Limerick hit and run case
Reports a new threatening letter sent to Judge Colin Daly at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, with Garda enquiries ongoing. Provides further detail on the sentencing (concurrent rather than consecutive), the family's campaign including a Dáil demonstration and 11,000-signature petition, and additional context on Fogarty's circumstances (on bail, banned from driving, filming himself on phone).
victim, Joe Drennan, 21, male, irish (judged from name)Joe Drennansuspect, Kieran Fogarty, 21, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kieran Fogarty - 30 Jan2025Family of student Joe Drennan killed in hit-and-run ‘disgusted’ by sentence
Provides the family's reaction to the concurrent sentencing, details of the 6½-year hit-and-run sentence running concurrent to the eight-year shooting sentence, Fogarty's 46 previous convictions, the forensic DNA match on the airbag, and the family's hope that the DPP will appeal for a consecutive sentence.
victim, Joe Drennan, 21, male, irish (judged from name)Joe Drennansuspect, Kieran Fogarty, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kieran Fogarty