Former All-Ireland hurler Niall Gilligan pleads not guilty to assaulting boy with stick

FORMER ALL STAR and Clare All-Ireland winning hurler Niall Gilligan has pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the assault causing harm of a boy with a stick in October 2023.

Before a jury panel at Ennis Circuit Court this morning, Gilligan (48) replied ‘not guilty’ when arraigned on two charges.

Gilligan said ‘not guilty’ when arraigned on the charge of assault causing harm of the boy at the Jamaica Inn Hostel, Mt Ivers, Broadford Rd, Sixmilebridge contrary to Section 3 of the Offences Against the Person Act on 5 October 2023.

Dressed in a suit and tie, Gilligan, of Rossroe, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, also replied ‘not guilty’ to producing a wooden stick capable of inflicting serious injury during the course of a dispute contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act at the same location on the same date.

Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL, instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey, told the jury panel that the alleged offences occurred at the Jamaica Inn hostel in Sixmilebridge on 5 October 2023.

Comerford said that Gilligan is alleged to have assaulted the boy “and used a wooden stick during that assault”.

Comerford said that it is anticipated that the trial will take four to five days and should finish by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

Comerford called out a list of civilian witnesses to give evidence and included the name of the alleged juvenile injured party on the list. She also listed the names of five witnesses who have compiled reports for the trial.

Comerford also provided to the jury panel the names of 18 Garda witnesses due to give evidence.

Comerford said that the defence in the case has notified the State of the potential to call one defence witness during the trial, a Martin Murphy residing at Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.

A jury of seven men and five women was then selected from the jury panel to serve on the jury.

The selection process took just over 20 minutes as solicitor Daragh Hassett, for Gilligan, and Casey, for the State, each challenged potential jurors to serve. The maximum number of challenges is seven for each side.

Judge Francis Comerford told the jury that the trial will commence on Wednesday morning and adjourned the case until then.

Written by Gordon Deegan and posted on TheJournal.ie