A Sligo judge had to remind a solicitor of the extent of inter-Connacht rivalries after the FAI-affiliated lawyer unknowingly extolled the virtues of his Roscommon u21-playing client in a drunk and disorderly case in court this week (September 1 ).
The District Court heard how gardai were called at 1.30am on August 22 by a taxi driver who was having difficulties with a “very intoxicated” passenger in Kiltoom. Leon O’Connor (21 ), of Barrymore, Kiltoom, Co Roscommon, was in court to plead guilty to two public order breaches stemming from the night in question.
O’Connor, who was on the county u21 panel for the All-Ireland semi-final last April against Dublin, had, a few hours before his arrest, scored a fisted goal for St Brigid’s u21s in their three-point victory over Roscommon Gaels in the final in Ballyforan for an unprecedented eighth county title in a row at this level.
After the court heard a brief outline of O’Connor’s intoxication from Inspector Fergus Treanor, defending solicitor Padraig Quinn - a well known soccer stalwart - began outlining his client’s Roscommon football CV to Judge David Anderson before the judge stopped him.
“Mr Quinn. I’m from Sligo,” the judge pointed out.
“That’s a different ball game to me, judge,” said Mr Quinn.
“Tread carefully on matters between Roscommon and Sligo,” suggested the judge, as he gave O’Connor, who had no previous convictions, the benefit of the Probation Act.
He did not point out to Mr Quinn who Roscommon beat in last April’s Connacht final to get to the All Ireland semi-final.
