them to "career headlong towards financial ruin", have been permanently restrained by the High Court from picketing any of the bank's branches.
Angry Munster farmers, who believe the Bank of Ireland knowingly allowed
Several hundred farmers in Kerry, Cork and Limerick claim Bank of Ireland knew the Tralee Beef and Lamb factory, which went out of business in 2001, was heading for disaster and had not warned them.
The farmers say they are owed €3.5 million and want the bank to contribute to a special fund set up to compensate farmers hit by the factory closure.
Earlier this month the High Court granted interim injunctions restraining the farmers from picketing, protesting, watching or besetting any of the bank's branches, or interfering with customers using bank facilities.
Mr Justice Peart, in making the order permanent yesterday, said there was no doubt that feelings were very inflamed by the situation in which individual farmers in the region found themselves following the collapse of Tralee Beef and Lamb.
He told Mr Alex Owens, SC, counsel for the bank, that after having lost considerable sums of money it was understandable their feelings would be inflamed and that they would wish to bring some sort of protest to Bank of Ireland whom they felt had contributed in some way towards their misfortune.
"The objective of the defendants and protesters seems to be very clear," Mr Justice Peart said. "Their campaign seems to be highly-organised and there is little doubt that, unless restrained, it would be impossible to control what might happen, and impossible to ensure that matters stayed within the boundaries of the law."
The judge said he was making the restraining orders against Irish Farmers' Association members Mr Donal Kelly and Mr Gerry O'Leary "and any person with knowledge of the making of the order". He told Mr Bernard Dunleavy, counsel for the defendants, that he would not make any orders against the IFA. He had been told and accepted the protests had not been organised by the association.
Mr Owens, who appeared with Mr Tony Hunt, told the court the bank did not accept it had connived in a situation where farmers suffered loss.