Man ordered to climb Croagh Patrick raises almost €3,000

A man who was ordered to climb Croagh Patrick after telling a Garda to f*** off back to Mayo has raised almost €3,000 for charity after completing the hike with 13 friends.
Joseph McElwee was ordered to climb the mountain in Co Mayo by Judge Seamus Hughes after being found guilty of threatening and abusing Gardai while drunk in Rathmullan on March 28th last.
In March, Joseph Mc Elwee subjected Garda Nicholas Freyne to a tirade of abuse, prompting Judge Seamus Hughes to recommend he climb Croagh Patrick to get a better picture of Mayo and its people.
Today, 38 year old McElwee, who is unemployed, returned to court and produced pictures of himself, his wife and 12 other friends climbing the mountain.
He told Judge McElwee he had regretted what he had done, and had managed to raise a total of €2,900 for charity during the climb.
Judge Hughes asked McElwee if he had found climbing the ‘reek’ therapeutic and McElwee agreed he had.
Judge Hughes asked him if he had any complaint about donating the money raised to a charity from both Donegal and Mayo and was told he had not.
Judge Hughes ordered that the cash be split, with half going to the Donegal Hospice and the rest to the Adult Mental Health Services at Mayo General Hospital.