Traditional folk singer Dolores Keane appeared before a court in Galway today where she was fined and put off the road for three years for driving while drunk near her home last year.
Ms Keane(58), from Caherlistrane, Tuam, had been ordered by Judge Mary Fahy to attend Galway District Court after she failed to show up last week when the case was first listed.
Ms Keane, who looked pale and anxious as she sat in the public gallery with members of her family, pleaded guilty through her solicitor Eric Gleeson, to drunken driving at Clonboo, Corrandulla on November 19th, 2010.
Inspector Sean Glynn said gardaí stopped Ms Keane driving her car at 10.30pm that night at Clonboo, which is eight miles from her home. She was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and a breath sample showed a reading of 84 mgs. of alcohol per 100 mls. of breath. The
reading, he said, carried a three-year mandatory disqualification. He said Ms Keane had one previous conviction for a similar offence in June 2000.
Mr Gleeson said his client was going through a very difficult period in her life at the time and was very apologetic. He said she was now present in court to face the charge “head on”.
Judge Mary Fahy fined Ms Keane €600 as the reading, she said, was very high and she disqualified her from driving for three years.
Mr Gleeson asked for a postponement of the disqualification so that his client could put alternative arrangements in place. The judge agreed to postpone the disqualification from coming into effect until February 1st next year.