Residents stop Traveller family being housed

Residents in the west Clare village of Miltown Malbay yesterday prevented a Traveller family, who had their caravan burned down at the weekend, from being provided with emergency accommodation by Clare County Council.

Yesterday, at the Ballard housing estate in Miltown Malbay, a group of up to 40 residents mounted a protest outside a vacant home that is earmarked by the council to provide short-term, emergency accommodation for the 11-member Mongan family.

With one resident holding a placard stating "Residents In - Travellers Out", council officials agreed to hold a meeting with residents' representatives inside the home, which has been vacant for six months.

As a result of the meeting, the council officials agreed they would not hand over the keys of the vacant home yesterday to the Mongans, who are sheltering in a tent after their roadside caravans burned down last Saturday near Lahinch.

A local resident Mr Pat Twomey said yesterday: "The council officials said that they wanted to hand over the keys of the house to the Travellers, but we weren't having that."

He added: "If the Traveller family is allowed to move in, the price of our houses in the estate will go down."

He said council officials stated the move would be only be a short-term measure.

"We were told that the Travellers would only be in the home for three months. How can we believe that? There are no circumstances in which we will allow the Traveller family move in here."

The locals also received the support of Cllr Michael Hillery yesterday. A nephew of a former President, Dr Patrick Hillery, Cllr Hillery (FF) said: "I would share the concerns of the local residents. It is an old estate and Travellers were never intended for that estate."

He added: "I sympathise with the family who are in a very, very dire state, but providing them with a house in the Ballard estate is not the right answer. The council should provide accommodation for them elsewhere. I now understand that the council is looking at other options, but putting the family into the Ballard estate is not acceptable."

In response to the residents' protest, Mr Martin Mongan, a father of nine, said: "We are very upset, but what can we do? I don't think we will stay in Miltown tonight because the people here are letting us know that we are not welcome."

Mr Mongan said that the family, with children aged from 15 years to 10 months, are still getting over losing all their belongings in the fire at the weekend. He said: "We have nothing left and for our youngest daughter, Nora, it was a very lucky escape."

Mr Mongan explained that Nora's face was blackened with smoke and that she was nearly unconsciousness when he jumped through the window of the caravan with her under his arms as smoke engulfed the caravan.

Mr David Joyce, of the Irish Traveller Movement yesterday said that he was "sickened" by the actions of the local residents. He said: "It is a blatant example of the bigotry that is shown towards Travellers. The council has a responsibility to this family and they cannot rescind the offer of the home to the Mongans."

A council spokeswoman said yesterday it was still its intention to provide the house in the Ballard estate to the Mongans.