Three remanded in custody at special sitting

THREE men were brought before a special sitting of the district court in Tralee last night on possession of iron bars, criminal damage and assault charges relating to “a very serious” incident in the town on Thursday.

Garda sources have confirmed the incident relates to an ongoing Traveller feud.

The three arrested at various locations and brought in custody before the court were 28-year-old John Casey of Clonmore Road, Tralee, 22-year-old Bernard O’Neill of Ballinorig Close, Tralee, and 18-year-old Lee O’Brien of Rath Oraigh, Tralee.

Inspector Martin McCarthy of Tralee gardaí said it was “a very serious incident and investigations were ongoing ” and the state was objecting to bail.

Judge Angela Condon remanded all three in custody to Cork Prison to appear in Killarney on September 1 next.

Each of the three is charged with producing an iron bar in the course of assault and criminal damage, assaulting two men causing them harm — John Paul O’Brien and Michael O’Brien — and having “smashed up” a car, understood to be a taxi, at Boherbee on August 25.

Casey and O’Neill made no reply and O’Brien said he was sorry.

None of the three are working, the court was told. and they were on job seekers’ or disability payments of €180 a week.

Applying for legal aid for his client Bernard O’Neill, solicitor Padraig O’Connell said his client was on a back to work scheme for Travellers, he suffered from depression and epilepsy and he was requesting medical attention while in custody.

An application would be made for bail in the High Court in the case of all three. Judge Angela Condon so directed.

A large number of gardaí were in court and there was shouting and jeering as the three were brought to prison. Garda sources have confirmed the allegations relate to an on-going Traveller feud in Kerry which first erupted two years ago.