Drag queen afraid to walk home drove while over the limit

Date Published: 07-Nov-2011

A professional drag queen, who was in costume when he was detected driving while under the influence of alcohol earlier this year, was put off the road for 12 months when he appeared before Galway District Court yesterday.

When asked why he had not walked the short distance home, Eamonn Cunniss (38), with an address at 151 Bohermore, told Judge Mary Fahy that it would not have been safe to do so while dressed as he was.

Inspector Michael Coppinger had given evidence that the defendant was stopped driving at Eyre Square at 3.17am on February 2 last, and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. A subsequent breath sample gave a reading of 43 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

When charged with drink driving he replied: “I’m sorry, I had the g&t’s.”

Solicitor, Ciara Macklin, explained that the loss of her client’s licence would cause great difficulty to him, as he was a dance teacher and performer, sometimes travelling 900 miles per week. She said that he had been taking part in a charity event for Cancer Care West the night he was stopped, and that he had foolishly driven, even though he was just a few minutes from home.

Observing that Cunniss was a five minute walk from his house when he was stopped by Garda Mark Kerrisk in Eyre Square, Judge Fahy said he should have found an alternative way home.

“I’m a professional drag queen, I was dressed up – I can’t walk up Bohermore dressed up,” he replied, adding that this type of behaviour may be acceptable in Dublin, but not in Galway City.

Judge Fahy quipped that he should always bring a pair of flat shoes out with him.

“I do, in my handbag, but it’s not very lady like!” he said.

Judge Fahy said that while no reading could be condoned, she acknowledged that it was not as high as other cases that come before her and imposed a €500 fine, and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel