A trial is under way at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court of three men, including All-Ireland winning hurler Kyle Hayes, who are charged with offences relating to incidents alleged to have happened in and outside a Limerick nightclub four years ago.
Five-time All-Ireland winner and four-time All-Star, 25-year-old Mr Hayes, with an address at Ballyashea, Kildimo, Co Limerick, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of violent disorder and one count of assault causing harm.
The offences are alleged to have occurred in or outside The Icon nightclub in Limerick on 28 October 2019.
A co-accused, 22-year-old Jai Choudri of Carheeny in Kildimo, denies a charge of assault causing harm and one of violent disorder.
A third defendant, 24-year-old Craig Cosgrave of Caherally in Grange, Co Limerick, has pleaded not guilty to violent disorder.
Judge Dermot Sheehan and a jury have heard that 24-year-old Cillian McCarthy was assaulted in the early hours of 28 October 2019.
Opening the prosecution case, barrister John O'Sullivan said that Mr McCarthy was on a night out and ended up at The Icon nightclub on Upper Denmark Street, with Mr Cosgrave, who was his friend at the time.
Mr McCarthy was speaking to two girls in the nightclub, the prosecution said, and Mr Hayes, who was present, became upset about this.
Mr McCarthy was set upon by Mr Hayes and others, according to the prosecution, and numerous punches were thrown.
It is also alleged that Mr McCarthy was attacked outside the nightclub and that Mr Choudri was also a participant in this incident.
The prosecution alleged that Mr McCarthy was "pursued" outside the nightclub by Mr Hayes and others, and that Mr Hayes "attacked" Mr McCarthy on the street at Upper Denmark Street and that Mr Choudri was also a "participant" in an attack on Mr McCarthy.
Two gardaí will tell the trial that they saw Mr Hayes and two others "punch and kick" Mr McCarthy when Mr McCarthy was on the ground, Mr O'Sullivan told the jury.
It will also be heard that Mr Hayes "fled the scene" and was captured a short time later, he said.
It was submitted by the prosecution that Mr Hayes and Mr Choudri were "acting together" when they assaulted Mr McCarthy, who suffered a fracture to the right orbital around the eye.
"There was violence in the nightclub and there was violence outside on the street," Mr O'Sullivan said, adding that it was "unlawful and unjust" and that at no time were Mr Hayes or Mr Choudri under threat.
"Cillian McCarthy offended Kyle Hayes by simply engaging in conversation with two girls. That's it. That's what started the whole thing off."
A number of clips of CCTV footage were shown to the court by Detective Garda Barry Moylan.
He said the footage showed there were a number of "strikes" thrown inside the nightclub by numerous individuals, including Mr Hayes after a fight broke out.
Another fight broke out between Mr Hayes, Mr Cosgrave and other individuals, he said.
Under cross-examination by Seamus Roche SC for Mr Cosgrave, the detective agreed that an account put forward of the events at the nightclub was that Mr Cosgrave had come to the aid of his friend, Mr McCarthy.
He said that Mr Hayes and another male, not before the court, had "instigated" what happened inside the nightclub, based on the CCTV footage.
The trial continues tomorrow.
