A District Court judge has strongly criticised the Director of Public Prosecutions after refusing to hear a case involving a Traveller riot which took place in Galway city last year.
Judge Gerard Haughton made his comments at a special sitting of Galway District Court yesterday, after being shown a sample of more than 50 weapons allegedly used in the riot. They included, meat cleavers, slash-hooks, lump hammers, golf clubs and cricket bats. There were 37 defendants before the court. The judge said he though it was "outrageous of the DPP to even consider dealing with this matter summarily". It was not a minor matter and the maximum 12-month sentence he could impose on conviction would not be enough.
A running riot between two Traveller families, described at the time by Sgt Pádraic Donal as resembling a scene from Braveheart, took place at a football field in Castle Park on the outskirts of Galway city on July 5th last year. Concerned residents rang the gardaí informing them that large numbers of Travellers had gathered at the field in Castle Park. Several patrol cars were dispatched to the area at about 7 p.m.
Up to 70 Travellers had gathered at the field, including members of the Donovan clan, from Gort and Galway. On the other side were members of the Ward, Sweeney and McDonagh families, from Galway. "A full-scale riot took place and slash hooks, hurleys, baseball bats and a variety of other weapons were used. The riot lasted for almost an hour," Insp Pat Lehane said.
Garda reinforcements were sent for and Garda vehicles had to be driven on to the field to separate the rioters, who continued to hurl missiles over the heads of the gardaí. Gunfire had been heard at the start of the violence, but it seemed to be just the signal to start the riot, the inspector added. None of those involved was seriously injured, and nobody was hospitalised.
Insp Lehane said that the DPP had decided to have the charges dealt with in the District Court. Garda Paudie O'Shea, exhibits officer, then showed a sample of the weapons seized to Judge Haughton.
The judge said that before he accepted jurisdiction of the trial, he had to be satisfied that the offences before him were appropriate to his court and could be dealt with summarily.
"For anybody to accept that a riot situation using these weapons, including slash-hooks, is a matter for summary disposal . . . it is unacceptable," he added.
"I think it's outrageous of the DPP to even consider dealing with this matter summarily. It may be more expensive, but, to my mind, the fact that nobody was seriously injured is not the criterion. I have grave difficulty with the DPP on seeing these weapons, but I want to make it perfectly clear that this is no criticism of the gardaí."
The 37 defendants were remanded on bail to appear again before Galway District Court, some to November 4th and the remainder to November 11th, to await the preparation of a book of evidence, so that the matter can be sent forward to the Circuit Criminal Court.