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Patrick Horan
Ireland's road traffic solicitor
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NEW: What Is Dangerous Driving — And Will a Judge Reduce It to Careless Driving?
Plenty of people think that. You were speeding — maybe by a lot.
But nobody got hurt.
No accident.
So why are you being charged with dangerous driving, a criminal offence that can get you banned for two years?

Patrick Horan
4 days ago7 min read


NEW: Careless driving penalty Ireland
"Judges get a lot of criticism online (some of it deserved) but most of it is undeserved"...

Patrick Horan
Jun 25 min read


Just because you say it doesn’t mean they’ll believe it.
Choose your words wisely

Patrick Horan
May 308 min read


How long will 4 beers show up on a breathalyser?
4 bottles of beer amounts to 8 “standard drinks” and will take 8 hours to process. That’s the minimum period that should pass before you attempt to drive.

Patrick Horan
May 223 min read


The “Hip Flask” Defence — Why It Rarely Works and Might Get You Convicted Twice
Saying that you drank after driving is all very well and good. But the onus switches to you...

Patrick Horan
May 145 min read


What to wear to court.
"Clothes maketh the man".
And woman...

Patrick Horan
May 143 min read


Driving Without Insurance in Ireland: What You Need to Know
You may escape disqualification the first time. You won't the second time. The third time? You're looking at jail.

Patrick Horan
May 74 min read


Can Someone Take Your Penalty Points in Ireland?
"Turning to Huhne the judge remarked that he had “fallen from a great height’ and that he was ‘somewhat- but not greatly in my view-more culpable” than his ex-wife.
He had stronger words for his ex-wife."

Patrick Horan
May 44 min read


What happens if a driver refuses to give a sample of blood?
Precision matters

Patrick Horan
May 43 min read


Driving Without a Licence in Ireland: What You Need to Know (and Why It’s Serious Business)
Keep an eye on your wallet

Patrick Horan
Apr 203 min read


What is the law for Drug Driving in Ireland?
Some drugs stay in your blood for a long time.

Patrick Horan
Apr 73 min read


How Long After Smoking Cannabis Can You Drive in Ireland?
Cannabis & Driving in Ireland: How Long Before You’re Legally Safe? Q: How long after smoking cannabis can I legally drive in Ireland? A: That’s the wrong question — because there’s no clear answer. And that’s what makes cannabis one of the riskiest drugs when it comes to Irish driving law. Is there a legal limit for cannabis in Ireland? Yes. The legal threshold for cannabis (THC) is 1 nanogram per millilitre of blood. That’s not a typo, it’s one billionth of a gram. A trace

Patrick Horan
Apr 72 min read


What happens if someone reports you for dangerous driving?
"In one scenario you’re driving at a time and a day when there is nobody around.
In the other the reverse is the case.
Even if there was nobody around it could still qualify as dangerous driving becasue it might be reasonable to assume that at that time of the day you would expect people to be there"

Patrick Horan
Apr 73 min read


Women and Cocaine in Ireland: A 426% Rise
Cocaine Use Among Women in Ireland Has Soared 426% Cocaine use among Irish women is surging. The Health Research Board, an Irish government agency, reported in May 2025 that there’s been a 426% increase in women receiving cocaine treatment since 2017. That’s one of the sharpest rises in drug treatment statistics Ireland has ever seen. And it’s not just numbers on a page. "Irish people are the fourth largest consumers of cocaine worldwide" Behind each statistic is someone’s da

Patrick Horan
Mar 292 min read


The Science of Sentencing: Why Different Judges Give Dramatically Different Punishments
Why Do Different Judges Give Different Sentences in Ireland? Imagine facing a judge for the same crime in two different courtrooms. In one, you get one-year in prison. In the other? Ten years. Now imagine that the same judge makes different decisions depending on whether it is morning or afternoon, or Monday rather than Wednesday, or they haven’t yet had lunch. These are examples of what Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman calls ‘noise’: variability in judgements that should b

Patrick Horan
Mar 296 min read


How Long Do Drugs Stay in Your System for Driving in Ireland?
Cannabis, Cocaine, Codeine: How Long Before You Can Legally Drive? “I Took It Yesterday — So I’m Grand, Right?” That’s the sentence I hear the most in drug driving cases. The person feels fine. They waited a day. Maybe two. They assume they’re safe to drive. But here’s what they don’t realise: You can still test positive. And if you test positive, the Gardaí can charge you. Even if you haven’t felt high in hours, or even days. Even if it was last night. Even if it was “just a

Patrick Horan
Mar 175 min read


Will I Really Go to Jail for Drink Driving? This is The Truth.
Will I Go to Jail for Drink Driving in Ireland? | What Really Happens If you’ve just been charged with drink driving, the fear of prison can feel like a punch to the stomach. You picture the cell. The humiliation. The company. Here’s the reality: if this is your first offence in Ireland, jail is extremely unlikely. It’s not impossible — the law allows for it — but in reality, prison is almost always reserved for repeat offenders or cases with serious aggravating factors. "His

Patrick Horan
Mar 25 min read


Can You Be Convicted of Dangerous Driving Without a Crash?
How does Dangerous Driving work? Y ou Didn’t Crash. No One Was Hurt. So How Is It Dangerous Driving? Most people think dangerous driving means someone crashed. Or someone got hurt. Or at the very least, there was a near miss. But that’s not what the law says. In Ireland (and across the UK), you can be convicted of dangerous driving even if there’s no accident, no injury, and no visible damage. No broken bones. No written-off cars. Just the way you drove: that’s enough. And i

Patrick Horan
Feb 213 min read


What Happens If Caught Drink Driving in Ireland?
If an arrest meant disqualification we wouldn't need courts.

Patrick Horan
Feb 82 min read


What Happens When Someone Reports You for Dangerous Driving in Ireland: A Complete Guide
A tree surgeon is not a surgeon

Patrick Horan
Feb 86 min read
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