A Catholic couple say they will go to jail rather than pay a €300 fine for travelling 70km to attend Mass during a covid lockdown [1]. Public worship was banned for 42 out of 60 weeks in the various lockdowns, the longest of anywhere in Europe.
Retired firefighter Jim Ryan (64) and his wife Ann (59), a retired nurse, found themselves in court for the first time in their lives earlier this month on a summons for breaching the 5km limit on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021.
The couple were convicted of the offence by Judge Raymond Finnegan at Cavan District Court but immediately appealed – and have now vowed to go to jail if they cannot get it overturned.
“I will go to jail before I pay it. I would rather go to jail, without a shadow of a doubt,” Jim told the Sunday World.
“I have no intention of paying them a fine for me going to Mass – for doing what I have done my whole life.”