Newborn ‘critical’ after mother rammed by car
A member of the Travelling community, who cannot be named for legal reasons, the girl was struck by a stolen car at an illegal Traveller encampment near the cattle mart on the Old Kilmeadan Road in Co Waterford yesterday.
It is understood that the girl came out of a caravan as cars began ramming a number of vehicles and was hit as she fled.
The infant was in a critical condition in intensive care at Waterford Regional Hospital last night. The baby’s mother was “stable” but will need surgery to a serious leg injury.
The incident happened in the hours following an assault on a 21-year-old man at a bonfire at a housing estate at Larchville.
Gardaí arriving at the scene found the man to have received serious injuries to his head and leg, reputedly from slash hooks and possibly a knife.
“A number of individuals had come looking for the man, had caught up with him and he was beaten up,” said Sergeant Larry Langton. This man was also stable in hospital following surgery yesterday.
Then, at 4.15am, a vacant bay at the Kilbarry Travellers’ halting site was set alight.
Gardaí preserved the scenes at Kilbarry and Larchville yesterday, pending technical examination, while the scene at the Old Kilmeadan Road has been examined.
Gardaí arrested three men in their early-to-mid 20s in relation to the incidents yesterday at around noon.
The men were being detained at Waterford and Tramore Garda Stations for questioning last night.
It is understood that all three incidents are related to each other and to serious public disorder at the site in recent months
Michael Delaney, 20, a former Kilbarry resident, was shot in the legs at about 4.30am during an altercation at the halting site on August 29. Two other men received minor injuries with slash hooks in an incident which involved up to 12 people.
Gardaí are continuing to investigate links between the shooting and a fire at a new, city council-owned house on Green Road in nearby Ballybeg on August 25.
Three caravans were also burnt out at Kilbarry over that weekend and a number of arrests have already been made in relation to these incidents.
The feud is believed to involve three families and to be related to property.
Sgt Langton said: “We are particularly looking for witnesses at Larchville to contact the Waterford Garda Station on 051 305 300.
“Any information received will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence,” he said.
