Killarney stands in solidarity with NY jarveys

Killarney jarveys, who have had major rows with the authorities in recent years, are fully supporting colleagues fighting a ban on horsedrawn carriages in New York.

There is outcry in the Big Apple over mayor Bill de Blasio’s move to get the carriages out of Central Park where they have been part of the landscape since the 1880s.

Following an election promise to outlaw the carriages over animal rights concerns, Mr de Blasio said it was inhumane for horses to work amid the bustling traffic of city streets and he wanted them replaced with electric cars.

More than 200 horses are engaged in the business which, as in Killarney, is a traditional tourist attraction in New York, with the carriages regularly appearing on films and in the media.

Michael Sweetman of Killarney Horse and Carriage Tours yesterday said they were fully behind the New York jarveys.

“We know what it’s like to be under pressure from government. We almost lost our livelihoods here a few years ago,’’ he said.

Four years ago, the jarveys were locked out of Killarney National Park for refusing to attach dung-catchers to their carriages. The lockout lasted eight months before the High Court obliged the jarveys to use the dung-catchers.

For decades, the streets of Killarney and pathways in the national park had been soiled by huge amounts of horse dung, but the area has remained largely dung-free since the devices were compulsorily introduced in 2010.

Colm McKeever, a native of Navan, Co Meath, and a New York carriage operator, said the NYC jarveys were grateful for the Killarney support.

‘’Horse-drawn carriages here are part and parcel of the fabric of Central Park — one of the top tourist attractions in New York whereby customers can absorb the scene and enjoy the slow pace,’’ he told Radio Kerry.

Liam Neeson is also backing the jarveys of New York. The Irish actor, who lives in the city, said the horses are “well-cared for’’ and invited members of the city council to visit the stables to see for themselves.

He suggested the potential ban was a land grab by developers.