An ongoing "murderous dispute" between two rival factions of the same Traveller clan, which has already claimed two lives, was outlined at Galway District Court yesterday by gardai who fear further violence may erupt.
Before the holiday sitting of the court was Mr Patrick Harty (26), a Limerick man with an address in Carrowbrowne halting site, Galway. He is charged with the fatal shooting of his first cousin, Thomas Harty, at a halting site in Portarlington, Co Laois, last May 16th and with having a double-barrelled shotgun on the same date with intent to endanger life.
He is also charged with setting fire to a caravan belonging to Mr Danny Harty on August 25th, 1998, at Ballysimon halting site, Limerick. He was remanded in custody to appear before the court again on August 17th.
Three other men, his father, brother and their cousin, also appeared before the court on charges of setting fire to the caravan in Ballysimon. Mr Alan Gannon, solicitor, applied for bail for those men.
However, Det Sgt Thomas McGrath, Portlaoise, told the court he feared there would be interference with witnesses if they were granted bail. Already the "Dannico" Hartys had to leave Limerick and move to Roscrea because of intimidation by the "May" Harty family before the court. He outlined a series of incidents in which slash hooks, guns and arson had been used by both families and culminated in the deaths of two people.
Insp Tony O'Donnell said members of the "Dannico" Harty clan were afraid to speak in court because of on-going intimidation from members of the clan before the court. It was his strongly held belief that if the accused men were given bail, they would interfere with witnesses.
Mr James "Gico" Harty (27), of Carrowbrowne halting site, was remanded in custody, with consent to bail on his own surety of £100, one independent surety of £1,000 and one cash surety of £1,000 to appear before the court on August 17th. Judge Joseph Mangan granted bail on condition that he stayed in Carrowbrowne, report three times a day to Galway Garda Station in a sober condition, not move outside the local area without the permission of the court and not interfere with witnesses who are members of the rival "Dannico" Harty clan.
Mr Edward "Teddy Boy" Harty (31), also with an address in Carrowbrowne, was granted bail under the same conditions. His father, Mr Edward Harty (53), of the same address, was further remanded on continuing bail.
Gardai objected strenuously to bail. The murdered man, they said, had been charged with the murder of his first cousin at the time of his death on May 16th.
Granting bail with stringent conditions attached, Judge Mangan said he had heard no evidence of any threats of intimidation made by the accused men.