Concerns grow at recent Traveller killings

The recent killings within the Travelling community have caused unease in the midlands, where many Travellers live

The recent killings within the Travelling community have caused unease in the midlands, where many Travellers live. Social workers are deeply concerned at the impact the killings could have on the pattern of settlement in the area.

The latest trouble began in Longford on Monday week when a man was shot in the stomach with a crossbow bolt.

Then another Traveller, Mr Pat Ward, was shot dead in a separate incident in Co Sligo.

These events shocked the Travelling community, which was already tense because of the jailing of two prominent Travellers over a slash hook attack in Clondalkin, Co Dublin.

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This opened new conflict between the extended Stokes and McGinley families. However, the attack was unrelated to the Co Sligo killing, which appears to have its roots in a feud between the Ward and McDonagh families.

"The lunacy seems to have spread to other families because the weekend killing in Portarlington seems to be related to yet another family feud between the Harty family and their life-long enemies," said a Garda source during the week.

Families who have been living peacefully beside one another for years are now insisting on moving and families from outside the areas are moving into towns like Birr, Tullamore, Longford and Mullingar.

"This has caused deep disruption inside the Travelling families and has put back by years in some cases the good work being done to settle families and get them off the road," said a midlands-based social worker this week.

Nowhere has the impact of the Co Sligo and Portarlington killings been felt more than in Longford town, which has a very progressive Travelling community and good support from locals.

There, local priest Father Vincent Connaughton spent much of last week attempting to broker peace between Longford families.

He said recent events had caused great embarrassment for Travellers in Longford, reckoned to be one of the most progressive towns for them in the State.

Special programmes in the town have seen the building of St Mel's Training Centre for Travellers, a model for the rest of the State where young men and women learn many skills.

Work is also nearing completion on a Travellers' football pitch.

Earlier this year a member of the community decided to seek a seat on the local urban district council but has recently withdrawn from the race.