A KERRY man has been remanded on continuing bail at the District Court in Killarney, Co Kerry, on “a novel charge” relating to alleged comments about Travellers on a website.
The charge is being brought under the Incitement to Hatred Act and is the first of its kind dealing with online material on the internet site in question.
The hearing, scheduled for the autumn, will involve a lot of technical matter and is likely to be contested, the court heard.
The allegation relates to a Facebook page which has since been closed down, and to alleged anti-Traveller sentiments, it has previously been confirmed.
Patrick Kissane (27), of Knockasarnett, Killarney, is charged with “actions likely to stir up hatred” on October 1st, 2009.
The charge is brought under section 2 of the Prohibition Of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989, where it is an offence for a person to publish or distribute written material or to use words, behave or display written material likely to stir up hatred.
Yesterday, when the matter was called on the list of Director of Public Prosecutions cases, Pat O’Connor, solicitor for Mr Kissane, said he had only just received documents released to him under a discovery order granted by the court in April.
The charge his client was facing was “very novel”, he told Judge James O’Connor.
The judge adjourned the matter to September 30th next.
Representatives of the Irish Traveller Movement were in court to observe proceedings.