Judge jails 18 in feud between Travellers

ONE of the biggest Garda operations in Tralee, Co Kerry, was mounted as up to 30 settled Travellers appeared at special court sittings arising from an ongoing feud between Traveller families in the area.

Some of the key players in the violent conflict were among the 18 people handed prison sentences and heavy fines after pleading guilty to offences relating to damage to property, assault, affrays and possession of weapons.

Other received suspended sentences from Judge James O’Connor.

The prosecutions related to internecine feuding between the Quilligan and Coffey clans, who are supported by other Traveller families in the Tralee and Castleisland areas.

Two men had to be forcibly removed from the public gallery by gardaí because of disturbances during the hearing, which took place in a tense atmosphere late into the evening. There were several calls for silence as the hearing went on.

Prison vans were lined up outside the courthouse in Ashe Street, waiting for the handcuffed defendants to be taken to jail.

Some women in the crowded and sometimes noisy gallery sobbed as sentences were handed down, after Inspector Martin McCarthy detailed evidence against each of the accused.

The court heard how cars had been rear-ended, of a riot in the Mitchels Crescent area of Tralee and of how Travellers from Cork got caught up in the violence, in which several cars and windows of houses were smashed in July.

Most of those charged had previous convictions for offences including theft, violence, damage to property and drugs. The vast majority were unemployed and were granted free legal aid.

Around 80 gardaí – including 22 members of the garda regional public order unit and many other gardaí wearing stab vests inside the court and on the street – were on duty under Superintendent Pat Sullivan of Tralee.

An array of weapons including chair legs, slash- hooks, pitchforks, hurleys, golf clubs, iron bars and shotguns seized by gardaí were brought into court.

Other weapons seized by gardaí included samurai swords and a double-bladed lock knife and petrol bombs.

Gardaí yesterday searched cars at the entrance to Ashe Street to prevent a recurrence of incidents during a previous court sitting when violence broke out between rival factions who pulled up outside the courthouse in vans.

About 50 onlookers gathered on the street and people were searched on entering the courthouse.

Separately last night, the Kerry Travellers Development Project said an independent mediator had been appointed to work with an inter-agency group seeking a resolution.

Owen McCarthy, project co-ordinator, said a minority of Travellers were involved in the feud, adding that the project remained very concerned at the negative impact of this conflict on the majority of Traveller families in the county who are living peacefully.

“What is abundantly clear from this process to date is that the causes of conflict within the Traveller community are multi -faceted and require analysis and understanding to minimise their recurrence,” said Mr McCarthy.

“Building Travellers’ capacity to resolve conflict in non-violent and collaborative ways is essential.”