Council to kick up a stink in court over horse manure

AN ongoing row between Killarney jarveys and the town council over the issue of horse manure on the streets could end up in the courts, it emerged yesterday.

The council, which has been at loggerheads with the jarveys for several years, is threatening to crack down by taking legal action to stop jaunting cars from using the streets if they don’t comply with bylaws.

Town manager Tom Curran said the council would take jarveys to court if they continued to drive on the streets without equine sanitary devices, which are commonly called ‘horse nappies’. The council has also said it would tackle the question of unlicensed jarveys.

Jarveys have been resisting efforts by the council to get them to use the sanitary devices. The jarveys claim such devices are not suitable and could result in horses bolting, with obvious risks for both jarveys and members of the public.

Killarney town clerk Michael O’Leary has now written to jarveys stating that bylaws adopted in 2001 ban them from the principal streets of the town.

However, under a compromise deal with the council, jarveys say they can pick up customers from town centre hotels and hostels.

But the council now claims jarveys regularly travel through the streets and, in such cases, the local authority has no option but to take legal action.

Jarveys’ Association chairman Pat O’Sullivan yesterday declined to comment, beyond saying they were now going down the legal route.

Killarney FF councillor Brian O’Leary warned against a heavy handed approach by the council and claimed the horse manure issue was “not a huge problem”. He said that with a little vision, council officials could meet the jarveys and work out a compromise.

“Going into courts and issuing writs to jarveys, who will strenuously defend their case, will not be very helpful to anybody,” he said.

Local people have been calling for action on the problem for years, saying that it not only affects the town, but also Killarney National Park.

Joan Gill, speaking on Radio Kerry yesterday, said there could be health issues involved.

“On days I’ve been bringing my children home from school I’ve had to close the car windows because of the smell and the bluebottles attracted by the manure,” she said.