A drunk driver who caused the death of a four-year-old child in Portlaoise has been sentenced to seven and a half years behind bars.
40-year-old Finbarr O'Rourke, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, is understood to have consumed between eight and 10 pints of cider before getting behind the wheel of his car in April 2014.
Mr. O' Rourke's decision to drive under the influence of alcohol had catastrophic implications for the young son of Gillian Treacy who was subsequently involved in a head-on collision with the drunk driver.
The collision, which Judge Keenan Johnson insisted should be a 'wake-up call for the nation', resulted in the death of four-year-old Ciarán just over 18 months ago.
Gillian, who suffered severe injuries on account of the collision, asserted that the loss of her young son has left her family 'paralysed with grief and in the depths of despair" in a victim impact statement which was made public in recent weeks.
Revealing the impact Ciarán's untimely death has had on her, Gillian said: "My whole life was shattered and my heart was broken when my worst nightmare had been confirmed."
Judge Johnson has called for more intensive campaigning around drink driving following this high-profile case.
Our hearts go out to the Treacy family.
