A man from Dublin's inner city who became a playwright in New York has been granted bail in the High Court on charges of assault and robbery with an imitation firearm.
Mr Michael Bowman, counsel for the playwright Mr Tony Kavanagh, told the court that his client briefly abused cocaine and alcohol in his home city and over four months ended up with a number of serious charges against him.
He said that years ago Mr Kavanagh had abandoned a criminal lifestyle in Dublin's inner city and had not come to the notice of the Gardai since 1984.
Mr Bowman told Mr Justice Butler that Mr Kavanagh (41) had had successes in New York with plays such as Down the Flats, Johnny Jump Up, and The Drum and Jack.
In the US, Mr Kavanagh had been the recipient of a $14,000 award sponsored by Dr Tony O'Reilly and had twice been named in the top 100 Irish-American writers list.
Mr Bowman said Mr Kavanagh had returned to Ireland and had been involved in a relationship which had broken up.
He had been suffering from depression after the break-up and as a result he had started abusing cocaine and alcohol and now faced a number of serious charges.
Mr Kavanagh, a native of Dorset Street, Dublin, had learned to read and write while in Mountjoy Prison.
Mr Justice Butler released him on his own bail of £9 with a surety of £900 or cash, with strict conditions that he attend centres for psychiatric and drug treatment and sign on daily at his local Garda station.
Mr Kavanagh undertook to reside with his sister in Dublin.