Thousands write to support Nally

JAILED farmer Padraig Nally received more than 3,000 Christmas cards and letters at his prison cell and home from supporters in Ireland and abroad, it emerged yesterday.

The bachelor, aged 61, was jailed for six years last November for the manslaughter of Traveller John ‘Frog’ Ward as he retreated from his property in October 2004.

Well-wishers from Ireland, Britain, Germany, Australia, and America sent Christmas cards, Mass bouquets and prayer booklets as well as hand-written letters of support.

The mail arrived to Nally’s cell in Midlands Prison and to his south Co Mayo farmhouse.

The Padraig Nally Support Group thanked the thousands of supporters on his behalf.

A spokesman said: “We received more than 3,000 separate items of post between everything. We thank everybody from the bottom of our hearts.

“We were further heartened by the level of support expressed in the correspondence in relation to the injustice done to Padraig by the severity of the sentence handed down to him.”

The group made an appeal in early December asking people to show their support by sending cards to the Midlands Prison.

A special bank account has been put in place for the day-to-day running ofNally’s farm and home.

A national rally to protest at Nally’s sentence planned for Athlone in November was cancelled because the organisers believed it had developed into an anti-Traveller event.

Sentencing Nally in November, Mr Justice Paul Carney told the Central Criminal Court that it was the most difficult case he had to deal with in more than 14 years on the bench.

The trial heard Nally shot Mr Ward twice and also beat him 20 times with a stick during the incident on his property in Cross.

The second and fatal shot was fired after Mr Ward had left Nally’s farmyard and was limping down the road.

Nally claimed in his defence that he believed his life was under threat as there were two break-ins at his property in the previous 18 months and he was growing increasingly paranoid and fearful.

Last month, the Central Criminal Court refused leave to appeal against the conviction.

The Padraig Nally fund is based in Bank Of Ireland, Headford, Co Galway, Sort Code 90-38-75; A/c Number 84788818.

A website has also been set up at www.padraignally.com.