November trials for Connemara men seeking bilingual juries

Galway Bay fm newsroom – Two Connemara men, who were unsuccessful in their Supreme Court bids to have their trials heard by bilingual juries, will have their seperate trials take place this November.
The two men went to the Supreme Court after a judge refused their applications in Galway Circuit Court three years ago to have their trials heard through Irish.
53 year old, Michael Folan, from Teach Mór, Lettermullen, is charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to musician, Noel Hill, at Tí Padraig Mairtín Beag in Leitir Mór, on St Stephen’s Day, 2008.
In a separate case, Peadar Macken, a native of Rosmuc, with an address at Fairgreen Hostel, Galway city, is charged with assaulting Martin Whelan, causing him harm at Beal an Dangan on May 28th, 2008.
He’s further charged with producing a bottle in the course of a dispute on the same date.
Justice Raymond Groarke refused the mens’ applications in the Circuit Court in Galway three years ago to have their trials heard through Irish.
The decision was appealed to the High Court, then the Supreme Court – and both courts upheld the ruling.
At Galway Circuit Criminal Court this week, Judge Rory McCabe listed both men’s trials for November 4th next.