Residents get injunction preventing Travellers camping after horse fair

A group of north Cork residents have obtained an interim ex-parte injunction to prevent a group of named Travellers from remaining camped in Buttevant after Cahirmee Horse Fair today.

Nineteen residents of Castle land in Buttevant sought the injunction yesterday from Judge A.G. Murphy at Midleton Circuit Court against 15 Travellers who are camped adjacent to their properties.

Ms Jane Hyland, for the residents, said a group of Travellers came to Buttevant on July 1st for the horse fair but numbers were greater than in previous years and some had caused problems.

"I am told a lot of problems have been caused . . . Three families have had to move out of their homes," she said.

Twenty caravans accommodating about 100 Travellers were restricting access down a lane. And some Travellers had parked near a school and the nuns felt intimidated by drunkenness. Refuse was being dumped on the school grounds.

Judge Murphy asked what Cork County Council was doing about the Travellers setting up camp in this manner. Ms Hyland said the council felt the problem involved public order offences and was a matter for the Garda.

"The gardai apparently would feel more comfortable if a court order was granted and they could move on foot of that," she said. "The residents' only concern is if members of the Travelling community don't move on after the fair, and this order is simply to ensure they move on."

Judge Murphy granted the injunction, preventing the 15 named defendants from entering or remaining on the residents' lands. He also ordered that they be restrained from littering or using their caravans without proper sanitary facilities.