Weapons seized after Traveller feud stand-off

DOZENS of deadly weapons were seized from a Traveller halting site yesterday after a family feud spiralled out of control sparking fears of a mini-riot.

Up to 40 people armed themselves threatening violence on the Oldcastle halting site in Clondalkin, west Dublin, over lunchtime.

Slash hooks, metal bars, garden rakes, chains, sticks and pitchforks were recovered after about 50 gardaí, including the riot squad, rushed to the scene.

While there were no injuries or arrests, it is understood the stand-off lasted about an hour-and-a-half.

Barney Joyce of the Clondalkin Travellers Development Group said gardaí were in talks with the family at the centre of the dispute.

“It’s an issue within a family that’s been addressed and the guards are now dealing with that in an effective way and are now talking with the family,” he said.

About 20 officers from the public order unit, dressed in full riot gear, raided the site searching skips, caravans, and cars.

A spokesman said: “There were weapons there but when we arrived no weapons were used.”

Senior gardaí from the area declined to detail the exact weapons recovered.

It is understood less than 20 families live on the halting site, just off the Nangor Road.

Mr Joyce said the incident, which kicked off at about 12.30pm, had been blown out of proportion and the vast majority of Travellers involved were trying to quell tensions.

“Situations like this can be taken out of context and I would be concerned about that,” Mr Joyce said.

“I think a lot of people were trying to defuse it.

“From that end it might look like there was a lot of people but in fact there were maybe a few young people involved in it.”

The Oldcastle site has been hit by disturbances and tragedy in the past.

In 2001, a man was injured and a number of others were arrested after a late-night row, and in November 2005 two young boys were killed in a caravan fire at the encampment.

Last July a Traveller family feud erupted into a full-scale riot involving some 200 people at a housing estate in Co Westmeath.

At least eight people were arrested after petrol bombs, stones, slates and bricks were hurled during the disturbance at D’Alton Park, Mullingar.

Local officers, re-enforcements from surrounding areas and the Garda Air Support Unit were called in to quell the ferocious fighting.