Town was like a game of ‘Grand Theft Auto’
An incident in Rathkeale in Co Limerick is being investigated after it appears that rival families rammed each other off the road on Monday afternoon, December 19.
A number of weapons including machetes were thrown around the R523 on the way into the town following the dangerous driving and public order incidents.
"It was like dodgems" said one witness while another said "it was like Grand Theft Auto, only in real life". MORE BELOW TWEET.
Cllr Adam Teskey visited the scene on Monday, which had been cordoned off by gardai, as they commenced their investigation.
“It was one of absolute chaos, complete thuggery of the highest order which cannot be facilitated within society. We need extra armed resources to be brought into the town. This is not the norm for Rathkeale,” said Cllr Teskey, who spoke of the effect on the business community.
"This is doing no service or justification to the town and to the business people who create valued employment and at this time of the year when they need to be supported,” said Cllr Teskey.
Minister for State Niall Collins who also visited Rathkeale, condemned the "senseless violence".
"This is not behaviour that can be tolerated in a civilised society. It is a miracle that an innocent person wasn't seriously hurt or even worse. Parents were collecting their children around this time.
"It was a very upsetting experience for locals and bears no reflection on the good people of Rathkeale who are having their town's good name sullied by a minority," said Mr Collins.
Cllr Kevin Sheahan said it was "scandalous".
"Anything that happens of this magnitude is totally unacceptable but to imagine that it is happening during normal trading hours when people are trying to do their business, children coming from school - it must be horrific for children to witness any of this nonsense.
"We had warned, some of us, in your newspaper that it was getting bad and what was going to happen or likely to happen in Rathkeale. I know the last two or three years have been relatively quiet in Rathkeale and we dropped our defences,” said Cllr Sheahan.
The long-serving councillor said it is terribly unfair on the vast majority of the Travelling community in Rathkeale.
"As a councillor I work for some of them and they don’t want to know about this nonsense. I have been shown extraordinary friendship from men, women and children in houses that I have visited. It is always a minority that spill the paint and everybody gets a splash of it,” said Cllr Sheahan, who called for a garda presence in the Rathkeale "morning, noon and night".
Minister for State Patrick O’Donovan said the perpetrators need to be dealt with by every the element of the law.
"Not just the gardai but Customs and Excise and the Revenue as well. I have been in touch with the Minister for Justice on the matter. This is totally intolerable in broad daylight, not even an attempt to conceal it and carrying on with some sort of macho, brianless bravado.
"It needs to be absolutely unmercifully rooted out by every element of the law. The people associated with this need to be rounded up and dealt with. There is only way to fight intimidation and that is with intimidation. They are not welcome in the area, they have no place in the area and they need to be rooted out,” said Mr O’Donovan.