*Pearse Avenue.
A 32 year old Ennis man has appeared in court in connection with the alleged assault of a 14-year old girl who was chaperoning younger children ‘trick or treating’ on Halloween night.
At Ennis District Court, married father of eight, John O’Loughlin has appeared in connection with an alleged assault on the young teenager and a violent disorder charge from October 31st outside his home at Pearse Avenue, Cloughleigh in Ennis.
Det Sgt John Casey told the court that Mr O’Loughlin is involved with an alleged feud with another family in Ennis and the children ‘trick or treating’ on Halloween night “were children from the other side”.
He said that on the night the situation arose when the children “ventured down the cul de sac where John O’Loughlin resides in Cloughleigh and I am satisfied those children did not know where John O’Loughlin lives”.
Det Sgt Casey said that the children had been accompanied by an adult until five or six minutes before who would have known John O’Loughlin and the adult had to leave to deal with another child.
Det Sgt Casey outlined the background to the case against Mr O’Loughlin when successfully opposing an application by the man to vary his bail conditions so that he could return to Ennis to live with his wife, Kelly and their children.
Det Sgt Casey said that bail conditions set at Nenagh District Court last month made it a condition that Mr O’Loughlin reside at an address at Claregalway.
Det Sgt Casey stated that the Halloween night incident “happened in a wider context where there is an ongoing feud between Mr O’Loughlin’s family and the other side”.
Det Sgt Casey said that there is currently calm in the alleged feud.
He said that the feud has generated serious offences during its history.
Det Sgt Casey said that one offence was an arson attack on Mr O’Loughlin’s family home in Ennis.
In that case at Ennis Circuit Court in March 2023, Judge Francis Comerford imposed a four year and ten months prison term on Martin Mongans (36) of College Grove, Ennis in connection with the firebomb attack “on a house full of children” in 2021.
Counsel for Mr O’Loughlin, Patrick O’Sullivan BL told Judge Adrian Harris at Ennis District Court that he has spoken with Mr O’Loughin and said that his client is very anxious to see an end to the chain of violence and is very willing and anxious that mediation would take place.
He said, “There is a genuine desire to put an end to this feud and it is in the best interests of society that this feud would be put to bed sooner rather than later before it would escalate further”.
Det Sgt Casey said that he is a supporter of mediation.
He said, “In recent times, we have had quite a number of feuds here at play in town and mediation has been introduced to some of them and worked quite successfully”.
Mr O’Sullivan said that Mr O’Loughlin’s wife, Kelly, finds it very difficult to care for their eight children by herself without him.
Mr O’Sullivan said that the bail condition that Mr O’Loughlin remain outside Ennis “is very unreasonable”.
Mr O’Sullivan said that the charges before the court are only allegations and he has abided by his bail conditions so far.
However, Judge Adrian Harris refused Mr O’Loughlin’s application to vary bail and he is to remain outside Ennis.
