A former garda was jailed for six years yesterday for dangerous driving causing the death of a GAA coach while drunk behind the wheel.

Michael Ball ‘left Niall MacEneaney to die at the side of the road’, Judge Dara Hayes said, as he sentenced the 28-year-old at Dundalk District Court.

Ball, who is originally from Co. Donegal, had been drinking with colleagues since 9pm when he ploughed into Mr MacEneaney at a pedestrian crossing near the victim’s home just before 2am on March 17, 2024.

After sending the former Louth intercounty hurler, 45, flying 34 metres into the air, Ball drove off, leaving the married man lying on a pavement with catastrophic injuries.

Gardaí were called to the scene by a passing taxi driver who found Mr MacEneaney’s bank card, and had to go his home and wake his wife to tell her that her husband had been killed.

Further down the road, the registration plate from Ball’s Skoda Octavia was discovered and he was tracked to the home of colleagues where he was couch-surfing.

His car had been parked in the furthest part of the farmyard, with the damaged section up against a gate. Ball was ‘comatose’ inside in a chair and when woken he told investigators: ‘This is about the damage to the car, isn’t it?’

The former garda later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and failing to keep his vehicle at the scene of the collision. Sentencing yesterday, Judge Hayes said Ball’s actions ‘fell far short of standards’ required of a garda or any other member of society’.

He said that nothing the court can do will ever begin to address the enormous loss suffered by the MacEneaney family, and that whatever penalty is imposed cannot be a measure of the victim’s life.

He sentenced Ball to seven years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended, and banned him from driving for 12 years. In her victim impact statement last month, the victim’s widow, Grace Martin, said gardaí were trained to be heroes but Ball was ‘no hero’. She told the court: ‘This man is a coward.’

CCTV footage played in court had shown the headlights of Ball’s car speeding towards the crossing. He drove at up to 109kph in the 50kph zone. Other CCTV footage showed that Ball was socialising earlier that evening with colleagues and friends in several establishments, drinking beer and at one point drinking from a shot glass.

The court heard he returned to Drogheda Garda Station at 1.56am to get his car before driving home. The collision happened around two minutes later.

Alma Gavin, investigating officer for Garda watchdog Fiosrú, confirmed the speed limit on the road was 50kph and an analysis found Ball had been driving between 107kph and 110kph before the collision.

The rear brake lights were activated 0.24 seconds before the impact, and braking caused him to slow to 86-109kph for impact. CCTV footage showed Mr MacEneaney being thrown into the air.

Many of the former Louth hurler’s family had left the court as the shocking accident was shown on screen but others, several in GAA jerseys, remained.

Ball was interviewed by Fiosrú on April 5, 2024, and accepted he was the owner of the car. The following month he submitted a statement through his solicitor. He said that he was working until 9pm and then went out drinking.

He said he had decided to go home early, at around 1.30am, and got his car from Drogheda Garda Station. In the statement, Ball said that a man suddenly ran in front of the vehicle and collided with the passenger side.

He said: ‘I am filled with an unbearable remorse for the victim’s family and I deeply regret that I did not stop at the scene of the incident.’

Ball said that he did not stop because of ‘sheer panic’ and had ‘no answer’ as to why he did not provide assistance.

His barrister, Rod O’Hanlon, said Ball had written a letter of apology. He said his client has expressed ‘genuine remorse’ and had entered an early guilty plea in the case.

The defence barrister said Ball, who is married with a young child, has been deeply affected by what happened.

He resigned from An Garda Síochána, Mr O’Hanlon said, adding that it was a ‘stressful occupation’.