Ex-Ryanair pilot in court over €10m drug seizure, claims substance was 'agricultural goods'
Brendan O'Mara (63) of Co Clare is charged with cannabis possession for supply. His defence argues the seized hemp is an agricultural good under EU law.
Former Ryanair pilot contests Clare drug charge at Ennis District Court
A former Ryanair pilot charged in connection with a garda seizure of an estimated €10 million worth of drugs has told a court that the material involved was hemp and should be classified as an agricultural good, not a controlled substance. TheJournal.ie reports that the case against Brendan O'Mara (63), of An Tulach, Summerhill, Meelick, Co Clare, was further adjourned at Ennis District Court on Wednesday pending the outcome of a High Court challenge brought by O'Mara against his own prosecution.
O'Mara is charged with having cannabis in his possession for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying it to another person, at his home address on 7 May 2025. The alleged offence specifies that the drug had a market value of €13,000 or more at the time, contrary to Section 15(a) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.
At a court hearing last November, Detective Garda Adrian Cahill of Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick told the court that O'Mara responded "absolutely not guilty" after charge and caution.
Hemp or drug? The EU law argument
O'Mara's solicitor, Ted McCarthy, told Judge Adrian Harris on Wednesday that the central issue in the High Court relates to the nature of the substance seized. "The substance involved is commonly known as hemp with a low THC and the issue is that on the mainland of Europe this would be regarded as agricultural goods," McCarthy said. "This is the issue that is being thrashed out in the High Court."
McCarthy added that two pending cases before the European Court of Justice could also affect the High Court's considerations, and said he was seeking a lengthy adjournment to allow those proceedings to advance.
At an earlier procedural hearing in January, State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey outlined the scope of O'Mara's High Court challenge. Casey stated that O'Mara is seeking a declaratory order that the inclusion of hemp with a THC content of 0.3% or less in Schedule One of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 is invalid and unlawful, having regard to EU law. He is also seeking a declaration that hemp constitutes an agricultural good within the relevant legislation, and that the Irish statutory provisions on the matter are incompatible with EU legislation.
Bail conditions and custody history
O'Mara was first charged at a special sitting of Ennis District Court on 10 May 2025 and spent almost three months in custody on remand before securing bail at the Court of Appeal at the end of July 2025. The Court of Appeal ruling overturned a High Court decision that had refused bail.
Bail was granted with a set of conditions: O'Mara must provide an independent surety of €150,000 and his own bond of €70,000, of which €35,000 is to be lodged. He has also undertaken not to leave the jurisdiction, has surrendered his passport and all pilot's licences, and must not attend any airfield. He is required to reside at his family home in Co Clare.
O'Mara was present in court on Wednesday for the brief hearing. Judge Harris adjourned the case to 9 December and excused O'Mara from attending on that date.
Source: TheJournal.ie