Partner of man on trial for attempted murder tells jury he didn't shoot her brother

by Alison O'Riordan

The partner of a man on trial for trying to murder her brother has told a jury that she wouldn't be with the defendant if he had shot her sibling and doesn't know why her brother was saying that he did.

Defence witness Eileen McDonagh said she was "devastated" when she found out her two brothers - Anthony and Michael McDonagh - had been shot, but she told the Central Criminal Court that her partner Patrick 'Pa' Ward "didn't do it".

Under cross-examination by Kevin White SC, prosecuting, the mother-of-five denied that she was not telling the truth to the jury.

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

Patrick 'Pa' Ward (38) of Kilcruttin, Tullamore, 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.

Anthony McDonagh has told the trial that on the night of March 21, up to 15 people from a neighbouring halting site descended on the "unofficial" site where he lived with his family.

Anthony described "locking eyes" with Patrick Ward before the accused man shot him in the chest outside his home.

Father-of-eight Michael McDonagh has told the trial he is "100 percent" that the second accused, John Pio Ward, shot him in the chest.

The two victims were shot in the chest, neck and face - with pellets from a shotgun "embedded" in their bodies next to vital organs.

After the conclusion of the prosecution case, lawyers for the two accused men called several witnesses to give evidence on their behalf.

Eileen McDonagh gave evidence in Patrick Ward's defence on Wednesday and told Damien Colgan SC, defending, that she has been with the defendant for 15 years and they have five children together. She confirmed that she is the sister of Anthony McDonagh and Michael McDonagh.

Asked what she remembered about the night of March 21, Ms McDonagh said Patrick had gone to the chipper to get food and returned around 9pm. She said Patrick was in and out of the shed that night playing the Playstation.

Ms McDonagh said she found out about the shooting the next morning from Patrick Ward, who had learned about it on social media. The witness said she was devastated when she found out her two brothers had been shot.

Asked if she had been "off" with her husband, Ms McDonagh said she was because Patrick had told her his name was being mentioned in connection with the shooting. "I asked him to go around and enquire who had shot my brothers and he said he wasn't getting involved. I wanted him to clear his name".

Under cross-examination, the witness confirmed to Mr White that she gave a statement to gardai on April 23 that her husband had been at home with her on the night of March 21.

Ms McDonagh said the blinds in the house were open, so she could see Patrick coming out of the shed and agreed she was "keeping track of his movements all night".

Mr White put it to Ms McDonagh that the two other defence witnesses mentioned hearing loud bangs that night but she hadn't said this in her statement to gardai. Ms McDonagh said she was inside the house with her children, who can be noisy and that she also lives down at the far end of the official site.

Counsel put it to the witness that Patrick had told gardai in his statement that she was "thick" with him. Ms McDonagh said she was.

"Because you believed he knew something?" asked Mr White.

"No, I didn't believe he knew something. I asked him to go and find out off people did he know anyone who shot my brothers and he said he wasn't going to do that, as it was not his job," said the witness.

Counsel asked Ms McDonagh why she would be "thick" with her partner if he wasn't involved in the shooting. "Because they linked his name. He said he wasn't doing it; I was pregnant at the time," she replied.

Counsel put it to Ms McDonagh that she had heard her brother Anthony testify last week that Patrick Ward had shot him. The witness replied: "Anthony is my brother and I wouldn't be with Pa if he did that. Anthony knows he didn't do it and I don't know why he is saying that".

"Well he did say it," stated Mr White. The witness repeated that she wouldn't be with Patrick "if he did it". "At the end of the day, he is my brother," she added.

"But you're sticking with him [the defendant]?" asked the lawyer.

"Obviously 'cause he didn't do it," she said.

Ms McDonagh disagreed with counsel that she wasn't telling the truth to the jury.

A defence alibi witness, who also cannot be named by order of the court, told Michael O'Higgins SC, for John Pio Ward, that she is friends with Eileen Ward, who is the mother of John Ward and Patrick Ward.

The witness testified that she was in Ms Ward's "bay" on the official halting site on the night of March 21, when they heard loud bangs at around 10.05pm. She said they went outside and heard a lot of commotion coming from the unofficial site.

She recalled the accused John Ward shouting for his two sons to come over. "When he called over, it made me look over and he was standing there and a man beside him; he called for the boys to come home".

The witness denied under cross-examination that Ms Ward had ever contacted her to ask her to provide a statement to gardai. She confirmed she had seen John Ward after they heard the bangs and when there was a commotion occurring.

Earlier, another alibi witness, who also cannot be named by order of the court, told Mr O'Higgins that he pulled up at John Ward's yard around 9.40pm on March 21 to discuss doing some work on a shed.

The witness said he was chatting to the accused in the yard for about 15 minutes when they heard two bangs going off.

Under cross-examination, the prosecutor put it to the witness that he hadn't mentioned "shots or bangs" in his statement to gardai and just mentioned shouting and commotion. "I was standing in the bay when I heard it, I didn't want to get too much involved in it. I don't want to be here today to be honest with you".

Mr White told the witness that the reason he hadn't mentioned "any bangs" and "just shouting and commotion" was because he hadn't witnessed any bangs.

"I did," replied the witness.

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, Thursday, before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven men and five women.