'Shock and distress' at arrest“I went into a deep state of shock and distress,” Mr O’Neill later told a court. Like Mr O’Neill, Mr Ryan was deeply embedded in sport and had worked with referees in Munster rugby. A ranking member of An Garda Síochána, friendly with both Mr O’Neill and Mr Ryan, was arrested on the same day as they were. For Mr O’Neill and Mr Ryan, the whole affair was transformative and potentially career-ending. Did management think this might be a condition confined to one senior Limerick garda?

Source: Irish Examiner January 31, 2026 06:56 UTC