Council bids to end blockade of house allocated to Traveller family

North Tipperary County Council will early next week seek a High Court injunction aimed at preventing a group of protesters from maintaining a blockade close to a house which has been allocated to a family who are members of the Travelling Community.

The local authority are seeking an order from the court as a result of an on-going blockade, which began early last month when local residents discovered that a house at Cullenagh, Ballina in Co Tipperary had been acquired by the Council for the purpose of housing the ten strong O'Reilly family.

Today the Council was granted permission by Mr Justice Roderick Murphy to notify those individuals involved in the blockade of their intention to seek an injunction, aimed at restraining the protesters from interfering and trespassing upon the property.

The judge made the matter returnable to early next week.

Mr David Kennedy SC, for the local authority, told the court that "the situation had become very inflamed." and that his clients were now in a position where they had to act.

He said that access had been gained to the house in Cullenagh and glue had been placed in the locks.

The electricity had been cut off, and it was unclear if the house's water supply is working.

Mr Kennedy added the council employees attending the house were in fear of being intimidated by those maintaining the blockade.