The DPP has decided to appeal the leniency of the sentence handed down to a man over the hit-and-run death of Limerick journalism student Joe Drennan.

The appeal comes after the Drennan family campaigned for a stronger sentence to be handed to the man found responsible for the death.

The family yesterday met with Sinn Féin ahead of a Dáil sitting, to express their frustration at the DPP's lack of response to their requests for an appeal.

Joe Drennan was a 21-year-old final year journalism student at University of Limerick when he was struck by a car and killed on October 13th, 2023.

He had recently been appointed editor-in-chief of Limerick Voice – the university’s final year news project.

Family members of Joe Drennan outside Leinster House. 11/02/2025. Image: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

He was waiting at a bus stop after work when a car ploughed into him and killed him.

21-year-old Kieran Fogarty (21), of Hyde Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick received a six-and-a-half year sentence on January 30th for the hit-and-run incident which killed Mr Drennan.

The court heard he was driving a car went through a red light and hit another car before hitting Mr Drennan.

He then failed to remain at the scene.

Fogarty was out on bail at the time – with one of the bail conditions being that he didn’t drive.

Protest in Limerick calling on the DPP to appeal the terms of a sentence imposed on the killer of student journalist Joe Drennan. 08/02/2025 Credit: Karlis Dzjamko/Alamy Live News

Last month he was jailed for eight years for firing a gun in a drive-by shooting which also occurred while he was on bail.

His sentence for the hit-and-run is due to run concurrently to his eight-year sentence – meaning he will not spend any additional time in jail for Mr Drennan’s death.

Since Fogarty’s sentencing, the Drennan family have launched the ‘Justice for Joe’ campaign – calling on the DPP to appeal the sentence and have the hit-and-run charge served consecutively.

The campaign has seen multiple widely-attended protests in both County Limerick and County Laois.

Portrait of Joe Drennan. 6th February 2025.Credit: Karlis Dzjamko