Toomevara woman broke Covid-19 travel restrictions by visiting her boyfriend

A young Tipperary woman broke Covid-19 travel rules in order to visit her boyfriend, Nenagh Court was told.

Nicole Ryan, 20, of Lissinsky, Toomevara, was observed by gardaí at Carney, Nenagh, at 10.55pm on January 15, 2021, the court heard. There was a legal requirement at the time not be move more than 5km from your place of residence.

Sgt Regina McCarthy told the court that Ms Ryan had been unable to give a reasonable excuse for being at Carney and had said she was visiting a friend.

A fixed charge penalty notice for €100 had been issued to her but it remained unpaid.

Ms Ryan's solicitor, David Peters, said that his client was a young woman who was working at present in a nursing home setting and was "well familiar with the effects of Covid-19".

He said Ms Ryan had left her house to go and collect her boyfriend. He asked if she could make a €100 donation to the court poor box in order to avoid a conviction.

However, Judge Elizabeth MacGrath was not inclined to do that, saying that Ms Ryan "should have thought of this when she left home. She had been highly cognizant of the issue."

Sgt McCarthy pointed out that it had been "a difficult time for people of her age".

Judge MacGrath agreed to the request but said she was "upping the amount" and ordered that Ms Ryan pay €200 to the court poor box before April 28, 2022.