Removal of illegally parked caravans urged

PEOPLE in the north Kerry seaside village of Ballyheigue yesterday called for the removal of up to 15 caravans from a public car park close to the beach.

Locals also claimed businesses were being affected by trading activities of the caravan owners.

The caravans arrived on Saturday evening and are seen as the start of an annual influx of travelling traders to Kerry for the holiday season. Ballyheigue-based Cllr John Brassil said that permanent businesses in the village had only two or three months each year in which to make some kind of a living.

“If these people are left there, it will deter people from coming to Ballyheigue.

“They’re trading on the beach, even though there’s a designated casual trading area in Ballyheigue,” he said.

“I’m now calling on Kerry County Council to take steps to remove these people. They are there illegally.” Cllr Denis Foley said the arrival of the traders had upset people in Ballyheigue, especially those going onto the beach.

County manager Martin Nolan said the council would take immediate steps to have them removed, but that may necessitate going to court.

They would also seek to have the casual trading regulations enforced in Ballyheigue.

Previously, the council has been forced to seek court injunctions to have caravans removed from car parks in Kerry. With so many fairs, festivals and other tourist attractions in Kerry, large numbers of travelling traders go to the county every summer.

The Kerry Traveller Development Group has been calling for temporary halting site facilities for transient traders.

The group said that as Travellers had never been able to access caravan and camping sites used by other visitors, a site for transients was badly needed.