A WOMAN told the High Court yesterday that young travellers were breaking into her back garden and using a swimming pool built by her husband 30 years ago.
Some of the boys going into the pool could barely swim and she was worried that they might get into difficulties in the water.
Ms Helen Haughton of Rockspring, Hillcrest Road, Sandyford, Co Dublin, was seeking a court injunction preventing the travellers from a nearby encampment from trespassing on her land.
Mr Justice McCracken agreed to extend to Mrs Haughton an injunction already granted by the High Court earlier this month to Kypan Ltd and co plaintiffs Onwit Ltd, who have adjoining lands where the travellers are camping.
In an affidavit, Ms Haughton said she lived with her husband, Mr Joseph Haughton (76), and that over the past three weeks traveller boys aged between six and 18 had trespassed in their garden on numerous occasions.
The travellers were getting into her garden through a boundary ditch and continued to do so despite their best efforts to block weaknesses in the ditch.
She found young traveller boys swimming in the pool at the beginning of this month. Despite threats to call the Garda they continued to return and swim in the pool.
When the gardai arrived, the boys ran off and hid in nearby woods. The pool became so dirty it had to be emptied, cleaned and refilled.
After a while her family decided to allow small groups of boys swim at an appointed time under their supervision. A shower facility was provided in an effort to control the situation. The arrangement did not work. The boys came in larger numbers and at different times and refused to leave when asked.
On July 7th last, she was gardening when two traveller men arrived. She told them to leave and they refused saying they had permission to swim which they did not have. She threatened to hit them with the flat of the spade she was holding if they did not leave and eventually they went back to the encampment across the ditch.
Mr Justice McCracken agreed to grant the injunction Mrs Haughton had sought in her notice of motion before the court.