Second alleged victim of two attempted murders tells court he knew up to 15 "fellas" from neighbouring halting site were "coming for trouble"

by Alison O'Riordan

The second alleged victim of two attempted murders has told the Central Criminal Court that he knew up to 15 "fellas" from a neighbouring halting site were "coming for trouble" moments before one of them pointed a gun at him and shot him.

Under cross-examination, father-of-eight Michael McDonagh said he was "100 per cent" that accused man John Pio Ward had shot him in the chest and there was no doubt in his mind. He did not accept that on the night of the attack, he "didn't have a clue" who had shot him and denied telling lies to the jury about the level of his certainty.

Two brothers are on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with trying to murder another pair of brothers living at an unofficial halting site in Tullamore last year.

In his opening address, prosecuting barrister, Kevin White SC, told the jurors that they will hear "just how lucky" the victims were that it was not a fatal shooting. He said the victims will tell the jury that they had known the men who allegedly shot them for years.

Patrick Ward (38) of Kilcruttin, Tullamore, Co Offaly, is charged with attempting to murder Anthony McDonagh (40) at the unofficial halting site on March 21, 2025. John Pio Ward (42) also of Kilcruttin, is charged with the attempted murder of Michael McDonagh (46) at the same location on the same date.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, Michael McDonagh told Mr White that his eldest son Arthur lives with his family at the unofficial halting site but he [Michael] resides in Tullamore with his wife and children.

Michael said he had been at the unofficial halting site around 10pm on March 21 with Arthur and that they were talking to his brother Anthony McDonagh. The witness said one of the women in the camp had shouted that a crowd was coming and he saw between 12 and 15 "fellas coming down" by foot from the nearby official halting site.

Michael said he went down to "Arthur's area" and shouted for him and his other son, as he knew "they were coming for trouble".

The witness said he heard gunshots and got both his sons into Arthur's caravan "to take cover". "I got my sons in first and stepped inside the door of the caravan and turned around to close in the door".

Michael said as he leaned out to close the door with his hand, he saw the accused John Ward in front of him.

He said John Ward pointed a gun at him and shot him in the chest area.

The witness said he continued to pull in the door and sat at the edge of a bed inside the caravan. The witness said he stayed inside with his two sons for up to 30 seconds and didn't look out the window as he was in fear for his life and in fear of getting shot again.

The witness said he has known John Ward since 2012 and that there was a family connection. "My sister is with his brother Pa".

The witness said he would "roughly" see John Ward on a day-to-day basis, as their children were in the same school.

"When he pointed the gun at you, what did you observe of him that you knew it was John Ward?" asked Mr White. "I seen his face," replied the witness, adding that it was uncovered.

Asked what he had seen John Ward do, Michael told the jury that the accused had looked at him, lifted a gun, pointed it at him and then shot him. He said the gun was a "long, shotgun-type gun".

Mr White asked the witness whether there was anything obstructing his view from the caravan door. Michael said he had a clear view and it was a well lit-up area.

The witness said he was initially treated in the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore and later transferred to the intensive care unit of St James's Hospital. He said some of the pellets from the shotgun are still "embedded" in him.

Asked what his relationship with John Ward was like on March 21, Michael said they weren't fighting with each other but were "just not talking to each other". "We could have been in the one building and there would be no hostility".

The witness said it was the "same thing" with the other accused man Patrick Ward; "no hostility, weren't on speaking terms but no trouble".

The witness was then cross-examined by Michael O'Higgins SC, defending John Ward, who put it to him that prior to being at the unofficial halting site that night, he had been at Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore.

"There is no detail set out in your statement about the trip to the hospital, any reason why that is so?" asked the defence counsel.

The witness said it was because he was shot at the halting site by John Ward but agreed that the events at the hospital and him later being shot were connected.

Michael explained he had been dropped at the hospital in Tullamore by his son Arthur earlier on March 21, as he was having chest pains. He said he didn't go home after the hospital checked him out as there was an altercation outside.

The witness said as he was walking to his son's car having left the hospital, two separate members of the Ward family said something to him as they walked in the hospital entrance. He said one of the Wards had taken a knife and ran towards his son.

Michael said he had tackled one of the Ward men to the ground and had gotten stabbed.

Playing CCTV footage from outside the hospital to the jury, Mr O'Higgins put it to the witness that one of the Wards had been "thrown around like a ragdoll".

The witness said a scuffle took place and he had got attacked with a knife "off camera".

Mr O'Higgins put it to the witness that he was willing and able to name another man to gardai on the night of March 21 as the person who had stabbed him, but hadn't named John Ward as the man who had shot him at the unofficial halting site. "I don't remember having that conversation with the guard," said the witness.

The witness said he was "100 per cent" John Ward had shot him and there was no doubt in his mind about that. "But you can't explain why you didn't say that to the gardai on the night?" asked counsel. Michael said had just been shot and didn't remember having that conversation in the hospital.

The witness denied that the reason he hadn't nominated John Ward as the shooter that night was because he "didn't have a clue" who had shot him at that stage.

Mr O'Higgins put it to the witness that as far as he had "any inkling" of John Ward "being in the picture", it was not until the following day when he told gardai he was "90 percent sure it was him".

"When you told the jury today you were always 100 percent sure it was John Ward, you were telling lies?" pressed counsel. Michael denied he had told lies to the jury.

Both accused men face further charges of the possession of firearms and violent disorder, at Kilcruttin halting site on the same date. The two accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial continues today before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven men and five women.