THE ARMED Garda Regional Response Unit was deployed on the streets of Tralee, Co Kerry, at the weekend amid fears of an escalation in a row between two Traveller families in the town.
It was the first time the special squad, set up a year ago and based in Limerick and Cork, had been deployed in the Kerry town. It is also understood to be the first time in the history of the State that uniformed gardaí carrying arms patrolled the streets of Tralee.
Supt Pat Sullivan of Tralee said he had decided to request the unit after receiving intelligence about a feud in an area of the town and about the purchase of a large number of weapons, including knives, shovels and slash hooks.
“We believed the situation was serious enough to deploy the armed response unit as back-up to uniformed gardaí.”
It is understood local gardaí were threatened when they went to investigate. Three armed gardaí patrolled the streets of the town over the three nights from Friday.
Knives and pick-axes were seized, and a car belonging to one family had its windows broken with a slash hook on Saturday while a woman sat in the vehicle.
Up to 15 people were involved in the feud and back-up arrived from out of town.
Several vehicles circled the town in pursuit of each other, it is understood.
Large numbers of Stanley knives and slash hooks were purchased in Tralee last week.
One man was arrested in connection with the dispute, and was due to appear before a special sitting of the District Court.