

A TEENAGER who shouted “Tiocfaidh ár lá” as he was arrested for disorderly behaviour admitted to an Omagh court on Tuesday that he could not spell the Gaeilge slogan.

Tyrone Kelly (19), with an address on Loughshore Road, Belleek, was taken into custody in the Gortin Road area of Omagh shortly after 9.30pm on August 3 last year after sticking two middle fingers up at a police car as he crossed the road.

The police report recounted that the teenager was shouting at the car, but the officers could not hear what he said.


As the car stopped, Kelly ran towards Omagh town centre and was later spotted at the Grange Park. The court heard that the 19-year-old took off his jacket and threw it at an officer, stating he had no respect for police.

Arrested, Kelly shouted “Tiocfaidh ár lá” and became aggressive.

Hearing the account, District Judge Bernie Kelly directly addressed the teenager at the back of the courtroom asking, “I wonder if he would like to spell Tiocfaidh ár lá?”

Replying that he could not, the Judge asked, “Can you conjugate the verb?”

Stating he could not, the judge ordered him to sit down.

Defence solicitor Conor Sally said his client had been intoxicated at the time of the incident and claimed only for the gesture, Kelly would not have come to the attention of police.

He recounted difficulties with the legal high substance ‘Magic Dragon’ and revealed his client was still subject to a suspended sentence imposed after the August 3 incident.


Judge Kelly warned the teenager, “No ifs or buts, you will be going to prison if this continues.”

She imposed fines totalling £315.