Up to 25 Travellers took part in a pitched battle between two rival families at Ennis District Court yesterday.
As a result of the mini-riot - which took place within the confines of the District courtroom - two Travellers were removed by ambulance to Ennis General Hospital with one sustaining head injuries as a result of a number of blows from an axe.
The running battle between members of the Mongan and McDonagh families had members of the public and solicitors fleeing for cover as Travellers exchanged kicks and punches in the court and around the judge's bench shortly after 11 a.m. yesterday.
At the door of the courtroom, Mr Edward Mongan from the Belberry halting site in Waterford fell to the ground after suffering a number of axe blows to his head.
Mr Bernard McDonagh (36), of Ashline, Ennis, was injured after sustaining a 6 in gash to his back.
About 40 members of the public were in the court. Gardaí were heavily outnumbered by the Travellers and the only gardaí there were the local inspector and non-uniformed gardaí escorting prisoners from Limerick.
Garda John Scanlan from Roxboro station in Limerick jumped into the melee and removed the axe from the attacker before more injuries could be inflicted.
Court staff mopped up a pool of blood at the entrance to the court, which is currently being held at a GAA clubhouse in Ennis.
The riot - which started out in the Éire Óg club's car-park - lasted for up to three minutes before gardaí could quell the disturbance and make four arrests. Gardaí also retrieved an axe and a wheelbrace as Garda reinforcements arrived on the scene.
As the riot was going on, Judge Joseph Mangan was hearing family law cases in an adjoining room. When court finally started, Det Sgt Eamon O'Neill described to the court how the riot unfolded. "I was standing outside the court and there was a verbal argument between the McDonaghs and the Mongans which quickly descended into a pitched battle."
Both sides blamed each other for starting the incident.
Solicitor for the McDonaghs, Mr Michael McDarby, told the court that his instructions were that his clients were minding their own business before the Mongans came at them.
Mr Bernard McDonagh then lifted his blood-soaked shirt to show his wound.
Mr Patrick Mongan told the court that the McDonaghs warned them to leave Ennis when the court was finished. "We didn't start the row."
Four of the Travellers involved in the disturbance - two from each side - appeared in court later in the day in connection with the riot and were remanded in custody to reappear before Ennis District Court next Friday.
Three - two from the Mongan side - were charged in relation to possession of weapons contrary to section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. All denied possession of the axe or wheelbrace.
Insp Tom Kennedy said that the earlier incident was "unprecedented" and asked the judge that priority be given to the cases involved.
The two Traveller families were yesterday at court in response to charges against nine Travellers arising from a violent disturbance between the two families in Ennis in July.
Before the court were four Mongan brothers, Patrick, Edward, Christopher and Bernie, with addresses at Mahon in Cork and the Belberry halting site in Waterford, while the five McDonaghs before the court were all resident in Ennis except one who gave a Dublin address.
They had all secured bail in July but with strict conditions attached. Judge Mangan remanded them in custody to next Friday when he will decide if the cases will be heard in the District Court or Circuit Court.
A spokeswoman at Ennis General Hospital last night described Mr Edward Mongan's condition as stable, stating that he was being detained for observation, while Mr Bernard McDonagh had earlier been discharged.
