A Tipperary man has been sentenced to two years in prison for cutting down and stealing ancient ash trees from Libertas Ireland founder Declan Ganley's lands in Co Galway.
33-year-old John Keane, from 5 New Houses, Faugheen, Carrick-on-Suir, admitted driving around the country for many years looking for mature ash trees which he could chop down and sell to hurley-makers.
However, he denied the theft of eight mature ash trees valued at €21,600 taken from ancient, protected woodland owned by Mr Ganley at Moyne Park, Tuam, on 12 June, 2009, during a two-day trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in March. He also denied stealing ash timber from Mr Ganley's neighbour, Thomas McHugh, on the same occasion.
Keane claimed he had been given permission to cut down the trees by Mr Ganley's groundsman and that he had accidentally strayed into Mr McHugh's part of the wood, even though it was a mile away from Mr Ganley's.
Mr Ganley's farm manager, Kieran Quinn, vehemently denied the claim made by Keane during the two-day trial and the jury took just half-an-hour to convict Keane.
Detective Sgt Michael O'Driscoll said ash timber was becoming very scarce in this country and most hurleys nowadays were made from imported ash.
He said native mature ash trees were a highly sought after commodity as they were so scarce.
At his sentencing hearing today, Judge Raymond Groarke said Keane was a 'marauding thief' who had a 'barefaced cheek' to think he could get away with driving around the county cutting down trees.
He sentenced Keane to two years in prison on both charges to run concurrently and he suspended the final year of the sentence on condition Keane keep the peace for three years.
He also disqualified him from driving for ten years. However, he put a stay on the order until 1 September to allow Keane to be present at the birth of his third child next month.
