Family of hit-and-run victim Shane O'Farrell to meet Justice Minister as part of long-running campaign

THE FAMILY OF Shane O’Farrell, a young cyclist who was killed after being struck by a car in 2011, said they are to meet with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan tomorrow morning.

On 2 August 2011, 23-year-old Shane was cycling home when he was struck by a car driven by Zigimantas Gradzuiska near Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan.

Gradzuiska had previous convictions for offences including aggravated burglary, road traffic offences and the handling of stolen property.

In the years since O’Farrell’s death, his family has been asking how Gradzuiska, a repeat offender who was on bail from multiple courts, was at liberty on the day O’Farrell was killed.

The O’Farrell family have spent years calling for a public inquiry, and have received support from numerous TDs in the past, including Jim O’Callaghan. 

There have been two Dáil motions, one of which was tabled by Fianna Fáil’s Jim O’Callaghan, and a Seanad motion calling for a public inquiry, but the calls have been resisted by government to date. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has spoken robustly on the matter in the past, stating that the entire case “reveals shocking malpractice and dysfunction in the criminal justice system at all levels”. 

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In 2018, the Garda Síochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) found there was no breach of procedures in relation to the investigation surrounding the death of O’Farrell.

An independent scoping exercise took place later, with the findings shared with the Dáil in 2023.

The report by Judge Gerard Houghton was commissioned by O’Callaghan’s predecessor Helen McEntee, who previously told the Dail that the report was thorough and comprehensive and a “fair and true” representation of the situation.

In 2023, the Department of Justice published a 416-page report into the case which concluded there were no circumstances surrounding the death of O’Farrell that warranted further investigation.

In a statement given by O’Callaghan in 2023 at the Dáil’s debate on Judge Houghton’s report, he said that the scoping exercise had gone “beyond the definition of what it was”, as there were findings of fact within the report.

“I think it is very dangerous for there to be findings of fact in a report when those findings of fact are not based on evidence that has been given before the person who is conducting the inquiry,” he said.

Speaking in the Dáil today, O’Callaghan said that he “cannot ignore” the report, and said he would likely refer the matter onto the Oireachtas Justice Committee once it has been established. 

Sinn Féin’s Justice spokesperson Matt Carthy said that the family of Shane O’Farrell have gone years without answers, and called for a public inquiry.

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