Eddie Halvey charged with drunken driving

[thecoolfreak]

A FORMER rugby international was yesterday charged with drink driving arising out of a crash hours earlier which claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy.

Shannon player Eddie Halvey, 33, who has eight international caps and lined out for Munster and London Irish, was arrested at the scene and taken to Nenagh garda station where he was charged under Section 49 of the Road Traffic Act.

He was released on bail but more charges may follow a garda investigation.

The boy, Kevin Walsh from Bruff in Co Limerick, was a back-seat passenger in a car and was travelling from his home with two uncles to buy a Mercedes in the North.

They set out early but stopped just after 5am on the N7 at Coole, near Toomevara to alert gardai about cattle wandering on the road. As they did so their vehicle was struck by a 4x4.

The other occupants suffered slight injuries but Mr Falvey, the driver of the 4x4 who was alone in the vehicle, escaped uninjured. The teenage boy was taken to Nenagh General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

It is understood that Mr Halvey was on his way to Munster's Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Perpignan at Lansdowne Road when the crash occurred.

He was driven by taxi back to Limerick yesterday morning after his release from the Nenagh station and is said to be devastated by events.