A traveller who is charged with the murder of his first cousin at a halting site in Portarlington last May was remanded on continuing bail when he appeared before Galway District Court yesterday.
Mr Patrick Harty (26), with an address at Carrowbrowne Halting Site, Galway, is charged with the fatal shooting of his first cousin, Mr Thomas Harty, at Woodlands Halting Site, Portarlington, on May 16th last and with having a double-barrelled shotgun in his possession on the same date with intent to endanger life.
He is also charged with setting fire to a caravan belonging to Mr Danny Harty on August 25th last year at Ballysimon Halting Site, Limerick. He will appear before the court again on September 13th.
Three other men, including his father, brother and their cousin, also appeared before the court on charges of setting fire to Mr Harty's caravan on August 25th, 1998. Mr Edward Harty (31), Carrowbrowne halting site, Headford Road, Galway, his father, Mr Edward Harty (53), of the same address, and also with an address at Lilac Court, Quay Street, Limerick, and Mr James Harty (27), also of Carrowbrowne halting site, were further remanded on continuing bail to appear before the court on September 13th for service of a book of evidence.
At a previous court sitting gardai had strenuously objected to bail because they feared the men would not turn up for their trials and would interfere with witnesses from the rival Harty clan who had moved from Limerick to Roscrea because of intimidation. The murdered man, they said, had been charged with the murder of his first cousin at the time of his death on May 16th last.
The court had heard there had been a "murderous dispute" between the two Harty families, who were first cousins, for over a year, and two men, one from each family, had been killed as a result. Most of the incidents had taken place in Limerick and the midlands, and members of one family had been arrested in Galway where they had gathered for a wedding.