Two men who were involved in a gunfight between rival Traveller factions in which a man was killed have been given four-year suspended sentences by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
James Hanrahan (27) and William Cawley (23), both formerly of St Bernadette's Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm on March 23rd, 1999.
The man who died was Matthew Hand. He was with two other men, Larry Power and Ronald Wilde, who have been jailed for five years and seven years respectively for their roles in the incident.
Mr Padraig Dwyer, defending, claimed Power, Wilde and Hand were the aggressors and described them as a group of serious criminals.
Judge Elizabeth Dunne described the use of firearms to solve arguments as deplorable.
She noted that initially Hanrahan was the one who tried to defuse the situation.
Det Garda Maurice Downey told Mr Dominic McGinn, prosecuting, that the row between the two factions originated from arguments between the women in the families over halting-site facilities.
Hanrahan and Cawley were approached by Hand, Power and Wilde, who left hurriedly in a car after an angry exchange of words.
As they drove away, Hanrahan discharged two shots into the air from a shotgun handed to him by Cawley.
Det Garda Downey said the three men returned the next day armed with shotguns. Shots were fired in an ensuing gunfight, including the two fatal ones that killed Hand.
Hanrahan suffered an injury to his face and his shoulder, while Cawley was injured in the shoulder and the leg. Their injuries were not considered serious.
Mr Dwyer said both men had suffered a great deal since the incident.
They had been forced to move to the North because they feared for their lives. He said they had the guns in their possession to protect themselves and their families.