Drennan family thank gardai and people of Limerick 'after two long years of fighting for justice' for Joe

THE SENTENCE imposed on UL student Joe Drennan’s killer last January caused his family “an unbelievable amount of extra pain and distress”, said his sister, Sarah Drennan.

Gangland criminal Kieran Fogarty, aged 21, of Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick city will now serve an extra five years in prison after the Court of Appeal ruled that his original sentence was unduly lenient.   

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Joe, aged 21, from County Laois (pictured below) was tragically killed in a hit-and-run collision while waiting for a bus in Castletroy on October 13, 2023 after finishing work in a local restaurant.

Fogarty had received an eight-year jail sentence for a drive-by shooting and six-and-a-half years imprisonment for dangerous driving causing death, at Limerick Circuit Court, to be served concurrently. 

Sarah told the Leader they had already gone through the trauma of losing Joe, and the heartbreak of sitting through every detail in Limerick Circuit Court, “only to be told that his life would be treated as part of other crimes”. 

“It was like Joe was forgotten about completely. Having to go through the appeal was just retraumatising. Every time we were in court, we had to relive that night all over again. It takes so much out of you, mentally and emotionally. You walk out of those courtrooms feeling empty and broken.

“What hurts the most is that the system seems to forget that there are real people behind these cases. Joe lost his life and we are a family having to live with that grief for the rest of ours. It all felt so needless. We shouldn’t have had to fight so hard and for so long just to have Joe’s life acknowledged properly.”

Sarah said the first judge made the sentences concurrent, which “felt like Joe’s life was being treated as something that could just be added on to other crimes or something secondary”. 

“This time, they were made consecutive, which at least recognises Joe’s life. We can’t say we are happy, because no sentence can ever bring Joe back or make this right. 

“Nothing the courts can do will ever compare to the loss of losing Joe or what we live with every day. But after two long years of fighting for justice, it means something to finally see Joe’s life acknowledged properly. He deserved justice.”

Sarah drove up to Joe’s grave the day after the Court of Appeal. It is the same road they used to travel to school together every morning, the car full of laughter and mischief.

“Now, it just feels quiet. The outcome doesn’t change the reality that he’s gone. I stood there knowing that even though we finally got some measure of justice, it doesn’t bring Joe back, and it doesn’t make the pain any less.

“Our family will carry this grief forever. The court case might be over, but our life without Joe isn’t. But at least we know we did everything we could to fight for some measure of justice for Joe, and that gives us a small bit of comfort.”

The Leader asked Sarah the Drennan family's thoughts and feelings towards Limerick as the place where their beloved Joe was taken from them but also where he studied and made so many friends.

“Limerick will always be a place of mixed emotions for us. It’s where Joe’s life was taken in the most tragic way, but it’s also where he grew into the amazing young man he became. He loved his time there with the university, his friends, the people, and the city itself. 

“He made so many memories in Limerick, and it became such an important part of his life. I used to love going to visit Joe down in Limerick. He would always know the best spots for food and drinks and he’d always be thrilled to have visitors to show them all the nice places he adored.” 

Since Joe’s death, Sarah said the people of Limerick have been incredibly kind. 

“We’ve had so many messages and stories from people who knew Joe or even just met him in passing where he worked. It means so much to us as a family. It does remind us that Limerick isn’t just where we lost Joe, it is also where he was so happy to be.”

Sarah, on behalf of the Drennan family, said they will always be grateful to the gardaí in Limerick for how they handled Joe’s case. 

“They worked so hard and showed genuine compassion for our family. They were always checking in and always keeping us informed. They really cared about Joe and about helping us through the worst time of our lives. 

“We’ll always appreciate how hard they worked, especially chief investigating officer, Inspector Padraigh Sutton. He went above and beyond and was always with us during every court hearing. We truly want to extend our deepest gratitude to him, Garda Ollie Gee, the family liaison officer Pa Gleeson and the rest of the guards in Henry Street that worked tirelessly during this time.”

May he rest in peace.