A court has heard an Armagh man was twice over the legal alcohol limit and driving at 140 kilometres an hour when he crashed his van, killing his friend.

Jonathan Crilly has been jailed for 18 months for dangerous driving causing the death of Martin Rooney, at Rathbeale Road in Swords, Dublin on April 24th, 2013. 

Martin Rooney, a 42 year old father of two from Armagh was one of two men in the van with Jonathan Crilly early in the morning when it crashed.

The court heard Crilly's van overtook a taxi at high speed, ran a red light at the junction of Glen Ellan Road and Rathbeale Road before going out of control and crashing into a wall.

Martin Rooney was pronounced dead on his arrival to Beaumont Hospital. The other two occupants were seriously injured.

The three men, all from Northern Ireland, were working on a construction job in Dublin and were staying in a bed and breakfast in Swords at the time of the accident.

The men had been drinking since 5pm and Jonathan Crilly was driving at twice the legal alcohol limit.

He's been disqualified from driving for 10 years and has received an 18 months jail sentence.