Insanity on the roads - A community undermined

Anyone who has seen the YouTube clip of a group of Travellers taking over a section of the Cork to Limerick road to run a sulky race — Russian Ladie vs Christy’s Fillie — will be amazed that someone was not killed.

Equally, they will be frightened by the casual aggression and lawlessness. The clip is a small indication of how very hard a job the gardaí have in confronting the worst elements of that community. What is probably most frightening is the disconnect these people seem to have from any rational, acceptable public behaviour.

It is very welcome but of little consolation that some Traveller groups have condemned the behaviour which went on despite attempts by heavily outnumbered gardaí to intervene. An entire community has been undermined again by the actions of a few hooligans.