Ireland Named in reporting
Michael McDonald
Born between May 1970 and May 1971, from the ages reported. 6 reports across 3 cases, 21 Jun 2022 to 23 May 2026
Key facts
from every report naming them- Named as
- Convicted, accused
- Born
- Between May 1970 and May 1971, from the ages reported
- Nationality
- Irish, as stated in a report
- Offences
- Theft (jugging), False imprisonment (unlawful detention)
- Where
- Co. Laois, Co. Dublin
- Reporting
- 6 reports, 21 Jun 2022 to 23 May 2026
- Outlets
- leinsterexpress.ie, dundalkdemocrat.ie, irishtimes.com, thejournal.ie
Photographs
as published, with the outlet's credit
Images are shown from the outlet that published them and link back to the article. Copyright stays with the credited photographer or agency.
Cases
latest first- Charges struck out over alleged €13,475 jugging thefts in Laois Theft (jugging) · Co. Laois
Michael McDonald (55) of Ballyowen Lane, Lucan, Co Dublin, was accused of stealing €13,475 in cash in a crime known as jugging in Laois. It was alleged that on 13 November 2025 he took €10,000 from a car park at Emo National School, and on 19 December 2025 he took €3,475 from a car park at Telfords, Portlaoise, after following two customers from banks in Portlaoise. He had been in custody since 13 March, and his counsel asked the court to strike out the matter, saying he was held only on these charges. Judge Susan Fay agreed, after the DPP recommended no prosecution on one charge and gave no directions on the other, and the charges were struck out at Portlaoise District Court, as reported on 23 May 2026.
No stage yetAccused · 1 report - High Court awards false imprisonment damages to three men in Dublin False imprisonment (unlawful detention) · Co. Dublin
Three men from Co Louth were arrested by Slovak police in July 2001 after meeting people they believed were Iraqi arms dealers, who were in fact undercover British security agents. They were extradited to England, where in 2002 they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions and charges under the UK's 2000 Terrorism Act, receiving 28-year sentences. In 2006 they were transferred to Portlaoise Prison on defective warrants, and in 2014 the High Court found their continued detention unlawful. In January 2023, Mr Justice Cian Ferriter at the High Court in Dublin awarded each man €2,500 in damages for false imprisonment, finding the transfer warrants were defective in referencing 28-year sentences rather than the correct term of 18 years and 8 months.
In court, 22 Jun 2022Convicted · 3 reports - High Court awards €2,500 damages each to three Real IRA men for unlawful detention in Portlaoise False imprisonment (unlawful detention) · Co. Laois
{"title: "High Court awards damages for false imprisonment at Portlaoise" tldr: "Three Irish men from Co Louth, Fintan O'Farrell, Declan Rafferty and Michael McDonald, were arrested by Slovak police in July 2001 after meeting men they believed were Iraqi arms dealers but who were undercover British security agents, in connection with an attempt to acquire weapons for the Real IRA. They were extradited to England, pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiracy to cause explosions, and received 28-year prison sentences. In 2006 they were transferred to Portlaoise Prison, where they claimed their detention was unlawful due to defective transfer warrants. In January 2023 the High Court found just under four years of their eight-year detention period actionable and awarded €2,500 in damages to each man." facts: [{"kind": "what", "text": "Three Irish men from Co Louth were arrested in connection with an attempt to acquire weapons and financial support for the Real IRA."}, {"kind": "what", "text": "The men were arrested by Slovak police after meeting men they believed were Iraqi arms dealers but who were undercover British security agents."}, {"kind": "where", "text": "The men were detained at Portlaoise Prison in County Laois."}, {"kind": "when", "text": "The men were arrested by Slovak police in July 2001."}, {"kind": "when", "text": "In 2006 the men were transferred to Portlaoise Prison.
In court, 21 Jun 2022Convicted · 2 reports
Timeline
every report naming Michael McDonald, newest firstEach entry shows how that report described them.
- 23 May2026Charges struck out over alleged €13,475 ‘jugging’ thefts in Laoisaccused, Michael McDonald, 55, named, irish (judged from name)Michael McDonald
- 13 Jan2023Court rules that three Louth men convicted of attempting to acquire weapons for the Real IRA entitled to damages for unlawful detention by the Stateconvicted, Michael McDonald, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael McDonald
- 13 Jan2023Court awards damages for unlawful detention of men convicted of acquiring weapons for Real IRAconvicted, Michael McDonald, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael McDonald
- 13 Jan2023Men jailed for trying to acquire weapons for Real IRA awarded damages over unlawful detentionconvicted, Michael McDonald, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael McDonald
- 22 Jun2022Louth men convicted of trying to acquire arms for REAL IRA seek damages for period spent in unlawful detentionconvicted, Michael McDonald, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael McDonald
- 21 Jun2022Men convicted of trying to acquire arms for Real IRA seek damages for unlawful detentionconvicted, Michael McDonald, male, Irish, named, irishMichael McDonald
Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.