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. 2666Assault (Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997) · Co. Kerry · 13 Jul 2023

Ross Lahive jailed for assaults after disrupting Tralee drag story event

Ross Lahive, 45, a former European election candidate, was sentenced to three months in prison at Tralee District Court for assaulting four people during a disruption of a children's drag story event at Tralee library on 13 July 2023. Two co-accused received fines for their part in the incident.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Convicted16 Dec
  6. Sentenced20 Dec
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
28 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThree people travelled from Cork to Co Kerry to disrupt a drag story event for children at Tralee library. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatRoss Lahive, 45, of Church Street, Shandon, Cork, ran in the European elections for the Irish People Party. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatMargo Mills, 37, of Carnloch Drive, The Glen, Cork, was convicted of threatening and abusive behaviour under section 6 of the Public Order Act and of assault. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatStephen McGeough, 57, of Devonshire Street, Cork, was convicted of using threatening or insulting words and provoking a breach of the peace under the Public Order Act. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe incident involved disrupting a drag story event for children at Tralee library in July 2023. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatChildren had to be shielded during the violent attack. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThree people arrived from Cork with the intention of disrupting the event. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe assaults included barging aside a young man on door duty, throwing a man on the ground, twisting the arm of a woman, and assaulting a photographer. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatLahive had carried out video recordings of the event and uploaded them on social media, including videoing six-year-old children. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereLahive is from Church Street, Shandon Street, Cork. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe event took place in July 2023. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeLahive was convicted of assaulting four people, including a security guard and a woman. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeLahive was convicted on four assault charges under Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trio had denied the charges at District Court hearings in Mallow and Tralee, during which video footage was shown. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtAll three will be sentenced on Friday after five people have the opportunity to give victim impact statements. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe three defendants had denied all the charges. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHearings of the case took place in Tralee and Listowel. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtAll three defendants were convicted by Judge David Waters on the Monday before sentencing. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceRoss Lahive was given a three-month jail sentence at Tralee District Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceFines were handed down for two co-accused. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceLahive was given the probation act on December 4th for the prior public order offence. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceLahive was sentenced to three months for one assault and two months each for the three others, all to run concurrently. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe prior public order conviction was taken into consideration in sentencing. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe event was organised by Kingdom Pride. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherEugene Manley, barrister for the three defendants, said his clients were in shock at the conviction. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherLahive was unemployed and had previously worked in construction and studied computer programming. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherLahive had a previous conviction for a public order offence dating to a month before the July 13 incident. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherLahive had a martial arts background. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 20 Dec2024
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Former election candidate jailed for assaults after disrupting Tralee drag story event

    Reports the sentencing of Ross Lahive to three months in prison (one month for one assault, two months each for three others, all concurrent) after being convicted of four assaults during the disruption of a Kingdom Pride drag story event for children at Tralee library. Two co-accused received fines. Judge David Waters described Lahive as 'the prime mover' and noted zero remorse.

    convicted, Ross Lahive, 45, male, named, irish (judged from name)Ross Lahivevictim, malevictim, femalevictim, malevictim, male
  2. 16 Dec2024
    Convictedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Three convicted over disruption at drag event for children at Tralee library

    Reports the conviction of all three defendants by Judge David Waters, who found the disruption 'premeditated' as the trio travelled from Cork as a group. Sentencing adjourned to Friday after five victims were given the opportunity to make impact statements.

    convicted, Ross Lahive, 45, male, named, irish (judged from name)Ross Lahiveconvicted, Margo Mills, 37, female, named, irish (judged from name)Margo Millsconvicted, Stephen McGeough, 57, male, named, irish (judged from name)Stephen McGeough