While the gun control industry shakes the Trayvon Martin case like a dog with a [heavily biased] bone, Ireland seems to be reeling in the years. The Emerald Isle has recently enacted something very much like a stand your ground law. And wouldn’t you just know it, someone shot a burglar! “Graham Lowndes told gardai [the Irish police] he was in fear of his life when he went to his father’s farm at around 3.30pm on Thursday and was confronted by two men standing beside a silver Lexus car outside the farmhouse,” independent.ie reports. “As this was happening, a second car, a BMW X5 four-wheel drive, arrived . . .
and it was at this stage, it is understood, that the shotgun [not shown] was discharged and the Finglas man was injured.
The injured man was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and then transferred to Beaumont Hospital, where he has undergone an operation on his arm and may require more surgery.
[79-year-old] Richard Lowndes was uninjured in the incident, which took place in an area where burglaries, including serious aggravated home invasions and “distraction” robberies — where robbers bluff their way into the homes of elderly people — have been commonplace in the past decade and more.
I wonder why that is? Something to do with a lack of shotgun-wielding home owners perhaps? And here’s the ‘ting: way back in, what was it now? January. Yes, January it was. Ireland made a major break from longstanding legal precedence and changed its regulations so that citizens can defend themselves with “reasonable force.” At home.
So it looks like the anti-gun crowd have loosened their grip on the Irish pub. Public imagination, I mean. And it doesn’t look like Mr. Lowndes will go to jail for shooting a bad guy. Assuming of course, he was a bad guy . . .
The man being treated in hospital is understood to have told a number of news organisations that he was at the Maryland farm in Kilsallaghan because he wished to thank the man who lived there for a favour he had shown him after his car allegedly broke down nearby. He claims to be the innocent victim of a shooting.
A bit of Blarney methinks. We’ll keep an eye on it though. Just in case.
Law abiding citizens of 79 years do not simply one day decide to shoot someone without provocation.
I do like how the story doesn’t cover what incited the shooting, but gives the bad guy a full paragraph explaining his side.
Perhaps the shooter knows enough to STFU (could he be a reader of TTAG)? I read the article, and it seemed pretty damning of the injured party, even if it “doesn’t cover what incited the shooting.”
This is a wonderful story. (if I’m reading it right) While we in the US call it the second ammendment, there can be no denial that self-defense is a basic human right worldwide.
It always warms my heart to see someone that’s able to defend themselves, especially when they are perceived as a soft target.
I raise a glass to Graham Lowndes. May his message resound throughout the Isles.
Newt, is that you Man?
Hang on now.
There’s a Lexus in the drive, and a BMW X5 pulls up. This is what the “bad guys” drive in Ireland?
I’m not sure what to make of that.
Considering most criminals have more rights than law abiding citizens, I would not be surprised the bad guy has a BMW. Actually Ireland is the exception, but I digress.
“The injured man, who is aged 34 and from Finglas, is well known to gardai in Dublin. He has a large number of convictions relating to car theft”
Perhaps they have expensive taste in stolen cars?
Also, in Europe, the BMW lineup is considered to be a mid level car, not a Chevy but also not a Cadillac.
Here is my take.
The elderly man is a former IRA man. The man’s history as an IRA bomber has been unknown ever since he turned supergrass and fled the IRA for the South. His son, raised hard but not knowing his father’s history, rarely visits his father. The dad’s old comrades recognize him from the shooting’s television coverage. Those men are not the kind to allow a Reconciliation Committee to forgive history. Now the young man has to team with the father he despises to protect his own children and, maybe, win back his ex-wife.
[Yes, I read lots of book fly leafs.]
I demand that you comment more often.
America, the first “mixed” country, has a long history of welcoming diverse societies and foundations. The value of jobs and pay in the United States is high. according to some individuals Number one: It’s a great place for expats, and Ireland is the fifth best country for a vacation with a lot to offer, according to Lonely Planet. According to some studies, Cost of living in Ireland and it is just as safe as the United Kingdom. It has a large number of jobs but fewer than the United States. It also has a higher quality of life.
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