Garda chief calls for end to feud

Clare’s chief superintendent and the Ennis Garda Division superintendent have called for an end to the traveller feud that is ongoing in Ennis before someone is killed.
Chief Superintendent John Kerin told The Clare Champion the feud is not only having a negative effect on those involved in the dispute, but it is impacting on the whole town and will end in tragedy unless it is dispersed.
“The reality is that their behaviour, apart from the fact that it is causing serious harm to themselves, is also impacting negatively on the town, on tourism, on perhaps industry. Ultimately it is going to lead to loss of life unless people get a grip of themselves,” Chief Supt Kerin said.
While he explained that a number of arrests have been made in connection with Traveller feud-related activities, he says more are on the way.
“Quite a lot of them are before the courts and there are quite a number more who are going to appear before the courts in the near future. We have tried to mediate with them, which is not really our function, and other parties have tried to mediate with them but they are refusing to listen to us,” he said.
“While I was stationed in Tralee, I was involved in a similar feud there where 32 people ended up going to jail on the one day. Those people are still in jail and the hardship that has caused to their families – so I would appeal to those involved in Ennis at this stage to think of their children, to think of the legacy they are leaving behind and to think of their communities,” Chief Supt Kerin added.
He also outlined that considerable resources have been put into tackling issues stemming from this feud, including the assistance of the Regional Support Unit, which means resources are being diverted from other areas of policing.
“The Traveller feud that is going on here in Ennis does take up quite a lot of resources. It’s annoying that you have to put in so many resources into an issue between four to five families. Our regional assistant commissioner, John O’Mahoney, has made the Regional Support Unit, which is a newly formed unit, available to us. This has been a fantastic asset to patrolling, carrying out searches and making arrests. We have also noticed that, because of the levels of equipment that the RSU have, those people are much less likely to resist us and are less likely to do so when they see the unit,” he continued.
In the region covering Clare, there are six units of the RSU, three based in Galway and three in Claremorris, Mayo. They travel where needed. Chief Superintendent Kerin has confirmed that as a direct result of the feuding families, the commissioner has prioritised the RSU’s deployment to Clare. 
Speaking to The Clare Champion in relation to the publication of the Garda Commissioner’s annual report, Chief Supt Kerin explained that although there is a national reduction in the incidents of criminal damage recorded, there has been an increase in these types of offences in Clare.
“Criminal damage is the one significant area of increase so far this year in Clare. We are up 15% in the first five months compared with the same period last year, which is a total of 42 recorded incidents. Some of that is domestic related, while most of it is trivial, it can have an impact on quality of life issues on those affected by it.
“Included in those figures are a lot of criminal damage incidents that would have occurred between the feuding traveller families. Perhaps if we analyse it fully the increase in traveller feud related activities would cover the rise in criminal damage,” he speculated.
Meanwhile, Ennis Divisional Superintendent John Scanlan appealed for further witnesses to come forward to try to bring the Traveller feud to a resolution.
“A number of people are being sought for interview in relation to the feud and related incidents around the town of Ennis. We would appeal to anyone who was involved or who witnessed any of these incidents to come forward and contact us in Ennis Garda Station. We would also appeal to anyone who could exert any influence on the people involved to desist from these wanton acts of violence against each other,” Supt Scanlan stressed.