THE "king of the travellers" can be seen fighting barefisted in a video which can be purchased in a Ballinasloe shop for £20, it was claimed by a prosecution witness in the Tuam travellers riot trial.
He also alleged that the "king", who is a defendant in the case, had a man's house "broken up" when he refused to accept "a challenge fight".
On the seventh day of the trial it was also claimed that remarks made by Judge John Neilan, who was escorted to the court by gardai, about a series of threatening phone calls made to his family home on Tuesday night might be misconstrued as pointing the finger of blame at the defendants in the case.
Two prosecution witnesses took the stand to speak of the events of June 2nd and 3rd last in Tuam, which began with a cemetery riot. Most of the 34 defendants in the case had the surname Ward and had addresses in Tuam, Athenry and Galway.
The charges faced by the defendants include common assaults, criminal damage, offences against the Public Order Act and being in possession of dangerous weapons.
At the opening of yesterday's proceedings, a defence solicitor, Mr Gerard Gannon, said that Judge Neilan pointed to the area occupied by members of the Ward family on Wednesday when he remarked that he had seen people in the courtroom using mobile phones.
This comment was made after he said a mobile phone may have been used to track his exdirectory phone number.
"I think it appropriate to clear up any suggestion that it is accepted that those phone calls came from any of the defendants," said Mr Gannon. "Many of the complainant witnesses also had mobile phones. The defendants have no complaint with the way justice has been dealt with."
Judge Neilan replied that it was not his intention to apportion blame to either side but to let those responsible know he would not be intimidated by those making threatening calls in the execution of his duty.
When asked by the judge to identify the "king" he had referred to in his evidence, a witness, Mr Tom McDonagh, pointed to a man in the body of the courtroom who, he said, was Mr Bernie Ward, the "boxer".
He said that a picture of Mr Bernie Ward, stripped to the waist with his fists clenched, is displayed on the window of Loughane's shop in Ballinasloe. Mr Ward, from 71 Coogan Park, Galway, is charged with offences under the Public Order Act on June 2nd and 3rd last with damaging two cars damaging the house of Mr Edward McDonagh snr; assaulting a garda, Mr Jim Eiliffe; and dangerous driving on June 3rd.
Alleging that three of his brothers were pressurised into taking part in a series of fights with the Barrett brothers at the Carrow Browne halting site in 1994, where Mr Bernie Ward acted as referee, he said that another traveller, Mr Joe Joyce, had his home "broken up" when he refused a challenge sought by Mr Bernie Ward.
The trial continues today.