Ice cream man caught selling illegal hooch said he was treated like criminal

An Irishman rumbled for selling illegal hooch from his ice cream van has described his subsequent treatment as something befitting a drug cartel member.

Patrick O’Dwyer, 71, from Cahersiveen, Kerry, Ireland, allegedly sold so-called 'Irish moonshine' poitín from his colourful ice cream van, something he denies. 

"Jesus Christ – you would have thought I was one of the Kinahans," he said of how Irish officials swooped on his home an interrogated him, referring to the notorious drug cartel family based in Dublin.

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A warrant was executed on August 23, 2022, to search the pensioner's home and van. Some 31 litres of poitín was found at his address outside Cahirsiveen, including 19 100mls bottles in the garage, as well as bottles in his ice-cream van. In addition, 90 empty bottles were found.

He was eventually convicted and fined €2,500 (£2,176), but he said he was shocked by the "heavy-handed" nature of the response from officials.

“They blocked off the drive … blocked off the garage and came in here and made me sit at the table for three hours,” he told the Sunday World.

“They would not allow me to move from the table and I was threatened, every time I tried to move, with seven days in a cell."

He claims he was actually handing out the hooch to tour coach operators as a thank you for letting him sell ice cream and treats to their customers.

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“So, no, I wasn’t selling it … but that’s what I was done for," he explained. 

Asked why he had pleaded guilty to selling the alcohol if he wasn’t being paid for it, the pensioner said he was offered a deal by authorities.

"If I had gone to court and pleaded not guilty, then I could be open to a €20,000 (£17,415) fine. Or I could plead guilty, and I’d probably get a €2,500 fine," he explained.

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