Man, 21, and two teenagers on trial for Doneraile murder

A jury at the Central Criminal Court in Cork is hearing the trial of a 21-year-old man and two teenagers accused of murdering 44-year-old postman Barry Daly. Daly died from catastrophic head and facial injuries, allegedly inflicted with a golf club in the front garden of his home in Doneraile, County Cork, last October.

All three defendants deny the murder charge. Alex Deady, 21, of Glen View, Convent Road, Doneraile, and the two unnamed teenagers, are accused of the killing. Deady and one of the teenagers pleaded "not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter" when arraigned, while the second teenager pleaded "not guilty" to the murder charge.

The court heard that the events unfolded after Doneraile's local GAA team won the North Cork Junior B hurling championship on October 11th. A "very large amount of alcohol was consumed" during the subsequent celebrations. Mr. Daly, a father of four, was attending these celebrations when an altercation occurred on Doneraile Main Street. Rachel Kelly, the girlfriend of Alex Deady, was reportedly punched during this earlier incident.

Prosecuting Senior Counsel Lorcan Staines stated in his opening that after the initial altercation, Mr. Daly and another man left the scene and went to Daly's home. Meanwhile, others attempted to de-escalate the situation with Alex Deady, who allegedly blamed Mr. Daly for punching his girlfriend. The court was told that Deady and the two teenagers later walked to Mr. Daly's home, with all three reportedly carrying golf clubs. Alex Deady was allegedly not wearing a shirt at the time.

Mr. Daly was discovered dead or dying in his front garden shortly thereafter. The trial, which is expected to last five weeks, involves a jury of five men and seven women.