Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 5773Breach of Covid-19 regulations · Co. Dublin · 17 Apr 2020

Former lord mayor Nial Ring loses High Court challenge to Covid-19 regulations

Nial Ring and three others lost a High Court challenge to the Covid-19 regulations under which they were charged after gardaí found them upstairs in a Dublin pub in April 2020. Mr Justice David Nolan ruled that all grounds of the challenge must fail.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court31 May
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
12 statements extracted from the articles
  • whereThe four men were found upstairs in the Ref pub in Ballybough, Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe men were found at around 11pm on April 17th, 2020. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeNial Ring and Liam McGrattan were charged with breaching the regulations by allegedly having held or participated in an event. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeAll four men were charged with having left their places of residence without reasonable excuse. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe four men denied the charges in the District Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe men brought a High Court challenge against the Minister for Health and the State seeking a declaration that the regulations were invalid. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMr Justice David Nolan ruled in a judgment that all grounds of the challenge must fail. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherAll four men live in Clontarf. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe Covid-19 regulations then in force barred people from travelling more than 2km from home unless for an essential purpose. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe challenge argued the regulations were not properly enacted because the Seanad was not sitting after the February 2020 general election. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe judge found the legislation and regulations were constitutional. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherNial Ring served as lord mayor of Dublin from June 2018 to July 2019. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 31 May2024
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Former lord mayor of Dublin Nial Ring loses High Court challenge to Covid-19 regulations

    Reports the High Court judgment rejecting the challenge to the Covid-19 regulations brought by the four men charged over the Ballybough pub incident. The charges were first laid in 2020 and the men denied them in the District Court.

    accused, Nial Ring, male, named, irish (judged from name)Nial Ringaccused, Stephen, male, named, irish (judged from name)Stephenaccused, Darragh, male, named, irish (judged from name)Darraghaccused, Liam McGrattan, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam McGrattan