‘No welcome’ for transient Travellers in Killarney

TOP tourist haven Killarney is not rolling out the red carpet for “transient Travellers”, the town’s mayor Donal Grady warned yesterday.

A six-caravan convoy has been moving around different areas in Killarney in the past few days and the occupants, believed to be Travelling families from Dublin and Cork, have been told to move on.

“We don’t have any halting sites for transients and have enough to do to look after our own Travellers. The people who’ve just arrived here are causing a lot of hassle and heartache to the people of Killarney,” Mr Grady said.

“Our own Travellers in Killarney have been extremely well looked after, but transients are not wanted here and there’s no welcome for them in this town.”

He said the six caravans initially pulled into an industrial estate in Killarney and then moved to the Ballyspillane housing estate, before they were moved on by gardaí and under court orders.

Mr Grady, who praised Killarney gardaí for the manner in which they were dealing with the situation, said local people afraid of the Travellers were ringing him late at night.

The caravans were in a car park in the Muckross area, at the entrance to Killarney National Park yesterday.

The Travellers said they were in Killarney on their holidays, but were unable to get into registered caravan parks in the area.

“We’ve about 40 kids with us and they want a bit of holiday.

“We love the scenery and the park and there’s also a festival in the town,” said one man, standing outside his caravan.

“The pubs and shops and restaurants are very nice to us, but it is the police and the council that’s hassling us. Other than that everyone is perfect. We’ll be here for only a couple of days.”