A parish priest and his parishioners thanked a county councillor at Sunday Mass for a €3,000 contribution he made to their Lourdes Pilgrimage Fund, unaware that the money was part of a penalty imposed over allegations of fraud and false accounting.
Cllr Michael Fahy made the donation after a county council investigation into allegations related to a road-widening scheme in the parish.
When questioned by gardaí regarding "irregularities" with invoices submitted for works purportedly done during a Community Involvement Scheme (CIS ) near his home, the court heard that Mr Fahy (57 ), of Caherduff, Ardrahan, said he did not, would not, or ever try to use political privilege on any works. Galway Circuit Criminal Court heard that Fr Ritchie Higgins, of Ardrahan, wrote a letter of thanks to Mr Fahy for a donation in April 2004.
The letter thanked Mr Fahy for his contribution of €3,000 towards the Ardrahan Lourdes Pilgrimage Fund. Fr Higgins said the donation was "very kind and thoughtful and very much appreciated."
Det Garda Martin Glynn told the court that the accused was also publicly thanked by the people of Ardrahan parish in their parish newsletter the following Sunday for the "donation".
The note in the newsletter read: "Parish Lourdes Fund gratefully acknowledges receipt of €3,000 from Michael Fahy.
This will help to bring some of our parishioners to Lourdes this year."
Mr Fahy had been charged with seven counts of theft, fraud and false accounting over the alleged misappropriation of public money during work on a road leading to his farm near Ardrahan in 2002 and 2003, but Judge Michael White withdrew two charges following legal submissions. Mr Fahy denies the remaining charges related to obtaining €7,055 by false pretences for fencing on his property and for attempting to defraud the council of €7,523 for works carried out under a public road widening scheme
