FAMILY, FRIENDS AND colleagues of hit and run victim Joe Drennan will hold a public vigil in Limerick tomorrow, calling on the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to appeal the terms of his killer’s sentence.

Last week, Kieran Fogarty, (21), Hyde Road, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick, was jailed for six and half years after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing Mr Drennan’s death, failing to remain at the scene of the fatal collision, failing to assist Mr Drennan and failing to alert the emergency services.

Judge Colin Daly, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, initially told Fogarty’s sentencing hearing that the six and half year sentence would run “consecutive” to an eight-year sentence  also imposed on Fogarty after he admitted discharging a firearm in a drive-by shooting which was an entirely separate offence and which was not linked in any way Mr Drennan’s death.

Judge Daly later clarified in court that he had meant to say that Fogarty’s six and half year sentence would run concurrent to his eight-year sentence.

The family of Mr Drennan, who was a fourth year journalism student at University of Limerick as well as editor-in-chief at the university’s student print and digital news platform Limerick Voice, said they were “disgusted” at the sentencing decision.

Marguerite and Tim Drennan holding a picture of their son Joe outside court last week. David Raleigh David Raleigh

In court, Joe Drennan’s father Tim Drennan, asked Judge Daly if the concurrent sentence meant that Fogarty would not serve a day for “killing my son”, however the judge rose to his chambers without response.

Speaking outside the court afterwards, Tim Drennan said Kieran Fogarty had left his son to “die like a dog on the street” and that Judge Daly’s decision mean that that Fogarty would not serve serve any jail time for taking Joe’s life.

“He [Fogarty] got a free ride for killing Joe. He got eight years for shooting into a wall, and he got six and half years for killing Joe, and he’s not going to be serving anything for Joe because the other one is a longer sentence,” Tim Drennan said.

Marguerite Drennan said she found the sentencing decision “absolutely unbelievable” and “really hard to take”.

The Drennan family have launched a social media campaign under the hashtag, #JusticeForJoe, calling for the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal Fogarty’s concurrent sentence on the grounds that it should be served consecutively to Fogarty’s eight-year sentence.

Please join @journalismatUL students and @LimerickVoice reporting team who have organised this important show of solidarity with Joe Drennan’s family in @UL on Thursday Feb 6th at 1.30pm #JusticeForJoe pic.twitter.com/7gN2dh9Be3

— Kathryn Hayes (@Hayes_Cait) February 4, 2025

Yesterday, Joe Drennan’s colleagues at the Limerick Voice student newspaper announced the publication was “inviting the Limerick community to stand with the Limerick Voice in demanding justice for Joe Drennan“ at a vigil, to be attended by Marguerite and Tim Drennan, at the Main Plaza in University of Limerick, at 1.30pm tomorrow.

Jack McKay, Limerick Voice managing editor, said the vigil was “to show our solidarity with the Drennan Family and help and raise awareness for their campaign for justice”.

“Joe was a journalist with a keen sense of justice and saw journalism as a conduit in raising awareness and campaigning for justice,” McKay said.

Speeding using mobile phone

Fogarty was on bail, disqualified from driving for other driving offences, and subject to five outstanding arrest warrants, when he ploughed into Mr Drennan, a native of Mountrath, Co Laois.

Moments before the fatal collision, Fogarty was filming himself on his mobile phone whilst behind the wheel of a BMW 5 Series car, traveling at speeds of 122kph in a 50kph zone.

He broke a red light, collided with another car, and ploughed into Mr Drennan who was standing at a bus stop after finishing a work shift at a nearby restaurant.

Fogarty attempted to wipe his DNA from the BMW before fleeing the scene on foot and afterwards, despite pleas from his mother to hand himself into gardai, he refused, and he was eventually arrested a month later.

Joe Drennan’s sister, Sarah Drennan, said her brother’s death had “left an unbearable emptiness” in her family, and that, “Joe was taken in a most violent, senseless way possible, in a moment of senseless, reckless disregard for human life”.

Fogarty’s own barrister, senior counsel, Mark Nicholas, said Fogarty’s driving on the night was “appalling, undeniably serious, reckless, dangerous, disgraceful and inexcusable”.

Fogarty had 46 previous convictions including 41 for road traffic offences including dangerous driving.