A TRAVELLER's ear was partially severed by a carpet knife during 11 hours of rioting in and around a halting site near Ennis Co Clare, over the weekend. A local man discharged a shotgun at a group of travellers who were trying to enter his home in the same incident.
Up to 100 travellers from two feuding families used an assortment of weapons, including slash hooks and hammers. Several were treated at Ennis General Hospital.
Gardai had to be called in from stations around Co Clare, with between 25 to 30 gardai used to quell the disturbances.
The clashes took place at Drumcliffe halting site at around 1.30 a.m. on Saturday and outbreaks of fighting continued until noon. Two families who are cousins and who, according to gardai, have been involved in a family feud were involved.
There was a tense standoff between travellers and locals as the locals demanded they vacate the halting site. A senior Garda officer negotiated an agreement and most of the travellers moved on.
Garda sources said a local man discharged a shotgun twice when 20 travellers spilled into his garden and attempted to break down the front door. They attackers later fled.
One traveller was arrested by gardai and later released. Said a garda yesterday: "It was a tense and very frightening situation."
The Drumcliffe site was yesterday littered with smashed caravans and vans and a number of families were homeless.