Updated 2.25pm

FORMER FINE GAEL TD Sean Conlan appeared in court in Carrickmacross this morning in connection with an assault at his family pub in August.

The Cavan/Monaghan deputy was remanded on his own bail of €100 to a further sitting of the District Court at Carrickmacross on 27 January 2016.

He appeared on two charges today relating to the incident at his family-owned, licensed premises in Ballybay on 23 August this year.

Sean Conlan of Main Street, Ballybay, was present in in the body of the court when the charges were read out by Inspector Kevin Gavigan, Carrickmacross, who was prosecuting.

Conlan was charged under Section 11 of the Firearms Act for the alleged use of a glass during the pub incident and also with unlawfully assaulting and causing harm to Enda Duffy of Annahia, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, under Section 3 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act.

The garda inspector told Judge Denis McLoughlin that photographs were available in relation to the injury sustained by Duffy who suffered a severe cut to his arm from a glass and required a number of stitches, following the incident.

Counsel for the defence Ms Claire McQuillan, who was instructed by Messrs McGuill and Co., Solicitors, Dundalk, said they were seeking full disclosure by the gardaí of statement relative to the prosecution case.

Judge McLoughlin directed that all the necessary documentation be forwarded to Mr. Conlan’s defence team and adjourned the case until a further hearing on 27 January at Carrickmacross.

Granting a remand on bail of €100, the judge also directed that Conlan must have no contact whatsoever with the alleged victim of the assault prior to the next court appearance.

The Fine Gael TD did not speak during the 10-minute hearing and left the court accompanied by his legal team.

The Cavan-Monaghan deputy resigned from the party last month, citing concerns over the North-South Interconnector project. However, he had been expected to face charges over the incident.

He was arrested arrested and questioned by gardaí earlier this year over an alleged assault at the pub in Ballybay, Co Monaghan on 23 August.

It emerged in the days leading up to his departure from Fine Gael that he was told he would not be ratified as the party’s candidate for the general election if charged.

In his resignation statement he insisted it was solely about the North-South Interconnector and his opposition to Fine Gael’s position on the proposal that would see hundreds of pylons built across counties Cavan, Monaghan, Meath, Armagh and Tyrone.

It was something he felt “very deeply about” he said.

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