Gardaí broker peace deal between feuding Traveller families

GARDAÍ say they have brokered a peace deal between two feuding Traveller families.

The conflict had resulted in shots being fired on two occasions at a house on the northside of Cork city.

The family, who were fired upon, had fled Waterford a month ago amid fears for their safety. They had, reportedly, been caught up in a vicious rift between two Traveller families in Waterford.

However, gardaí and mediator Ian White, chief executive of the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation, have managed to get representatives from the Cork and Waterford clans together. The breakthrough came following a two-hour meeting in Midleton Garda Station, attended by Travellers and gardaí from Cork and Waterford.

Around 20 Travellers moved from Waterford city to Nash’s Boreen, Gurranabraher, last month. They came in caravans but, fearing for their security, all of them slept at night in a nearby house.

Shortly after they arrived, shots were fired from a shotgun at the site, while five more shots were discharged from a rifle a few days later.

Fortunately, nobody was injured and, since the shootings last month, gardaí have conducted round-the-clock patrols in the area.

Superintendent Con Cadogan, who is in charge of the Gurranabraher Garda district, was hopeful the peace deal will last.

“It has taken quite a while to get the two sides together, but we believe it was well worth it. It was a very volatile situation and it was vital that communication was set up,” Supt Cadogan said. “A lot of innocent parties, including women and children, were drawn into this [feud]. It was a difficult mediation as both sides had been very opposed to each other.”

The superintendent declined to discuss the details of the peace deal but said gardaí were very hopeful that it would be lasting.

As the threat of violence in Cork has subsided, the family living at Nash’s Boreen have returned to live in their caravans.