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02 Oct 2025
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02 Oct 2025
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The late Adam Kirwan played at different grades for Laois.
A young Laois man has been jailed for dangerous driving that caused the death of his friend and former Laois hurler Adam Kirwan.
Seán Fitzpatrick, 22, of Killpurcell, Ballybrophy, was jailed for 18 months by Judge Catherine Staines at the Circuit Criminal Court in Nenagh arising from an incident in Thurles on March 2, 2023.
RTÉ reported that he had admitted dangerous driving, causing the death of his then 22-year-old college friend when they were on a night out together in Tipperary. He also confessed to driving with excess alcohol in his system and driving without insurance.
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Both were studying to become teachers and were students at Mary Immaculate College in Thurles at the time.
They had been on a night out with a third college friend when they decided to move Mr Kirwan's car from a car park near the square in Thurles.
The accused drove the car despite being twice the drink driving limit. It emerged that Mr Kirwan, from Mountrath, held the roof and the open driver's door of the car while standing on the ledge of the driver's door for the 1.3km journey from the centre of Thurles to their house.
The third student recorded parts of the journey on his mobile phone from the back seat.
However, the car hit a kerb and ended up on a green area at College Green, Monakeeba, leaving Mr Kirwan with severe head injuries.
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Judge Staines sentenced Fitzpatrick to three years in jail, but suspended the final 18 months due to mitigating factors.
A former pupil of Gaelscoil Thromaire and Mountrath Community School, Adam was a son of Lourda and Paul Kirwan and sister Marie.
Adam was best known for his GAA success on the hurling field with his club Trumera as well as for Mary I and Laois. He played midfield for Mary I in a college Ryan Cup win shortly before his death.
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