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. 4454Murder · Co. Dublin · 22 Feb 2022

Jurors invited to handle revolver at Diarmuid Phelan murder trial

Diarmuid Phelan, a barrister and farmer, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court for murdering Mr Conlon, a trespasser, on his Tallaght farmland. The prosecution invited jurors to hold and pull the trigger of the revolver used in the shooting.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court7 Nov
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
14 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatMr Phelan has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Conlon. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThree men including Mr Conlon trespassed on a wooded area of Mr Phelan's land on February 22nd, 2022, while hunting foxes or badgers. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMr Phelan says he fired his revolver in the air over the men after reaching for it in his pocket. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMr Conlon was seriously injured in the shooting and died at Tallaght University Hospital two days later. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe killing is alleged to have happened at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, Dublin 24. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe article gives February 24th, 2022 as the date of the murder. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeMr Phelan told gardaí he shot a loose dog with his rifle and was then threatened by three men. (irishtimes.com)
  • weaponMr Phelan fatally shot an unarmed trespasser with a revolver on his farmland. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationA detective told the court the revolver had no manually activated safety mechanism or safety switch. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMs Justice Siobhán Lankford is presiding over the trial and declined to pull the trigger. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe prosecution invited the jury to hold the revolver and pull the trigger to judge the pressure required. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherEight of the 12 jurors chose to pull the trigger of the revolver. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMr Phelan is a barrister, law lecturer and farmer who owns Hazelgrove. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe trial is continuing. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 7 Nov2024
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Jurors invited to pull trigger of revolver at centre of Diarmuid Phelan murder trial

    Trial report: jurors handled the revolver and the detective gave evidence on its safety features. The article gives February 24th, 2022 as the date of the murder but also says the shooting took place on February 22nd and Mr Conlon died two days later; incident_date uses February 22nd.

    accused, Diarmuid Phelan, 56, male, named, irish (judged from name)Diarmuid Phelanvictim, 36, male, irish (judged from name)