Manslaughter ruling - Legislation must follow Nally verdict

No matter how controversial or emotive the decision was by the jury to free Pádraig Nally of the manslaughter charge yesterday, it must be remembered that a father of 11 died.

It may have taken the jury of four women and eight men just almost 16 hours of deliberations to find the farmer not guilty, but what they decided goes to the very core of what has concentrated the collective mind of society for decades. That is, what force is acceptable in defending one’s property against intruders and while the result of this case may resonate especially in rural areas, it will have repercussions throughout the land.

That is why it is crucial that the Government addresses this problem with urgency because apart from any legal implications it has the potential to alienate the Traveller community even further from the wider society.