The court was told that soon after the party came into Maloney's Bar, Milligan spat at O'Flaherty and called him "a stinkingUlsterman".
O'Flaherty punched Milligan, and Rourke hit him with a bottle.
Milligan kicked O'Flaherty in the groin and threw a pint of beer in Rourkes face. This led to ill feeling and they began to fight.