JARVEYS ARE being refused entry to Killarney National Park for the second time since the summer over their continuing refusal to fit dung-catchers to their horse carriages.
The devices, a condition of jarvey licences in the park area, are being introduced in an effort to clean up the park’s undulating walkways and cycleways, after years of public complaint.
In a defiant move, Killarney town jarveys switched their trade to the town’s main streets yesterday, with horse droppings visible on Main Street from early morning. The jarveys, who operate in two groupings in Muckross and in the town area, claim the dung-catchers are unsafe for their carriages. They have refused to try them.
A spokesman for the 40 Muckross jarveys said they would seek buy-out compensation of the kind offered to fishermen rather than operate with the devices.
The new lock-out comes as talks between a facilitator, appointed at the recommendation of a High Court judge, have also failed.
Bollards were erected at the main entrances and gardaí patrolled the park from early morning.
Jarveys were informed of the move yesterday morning and kept away from the Muckross area. The original ban in July at the height of the summer led to protests by jarveys and legal action.