A judge has described a violent Limerick feud as the city's "most serious problem" and warned that it "had to stop" as he sentenced nine men to a total of just over 38 years in prison.
Limerick Circuit Court heard yesterday that a total of 25 people are now serving sentences for a variety of feud-related offences including murder, petrol bombings, gun attacks and possession of weapons and bomb-making devices.
Nine Limerick men were sentenced yesterday after being convicted of charges relating to a "pitched battle" outside a fast food restaurant in the city last summer.
During a trial that lasted 13 days, evidence was heard that members of two rival factions clashed in the car-park of Supermacs restaurant on the Ennis Road, using a variety of weapons including a golf club, a steering lock and a snooker cue.
The court heard that had it not been for the intervention of gardaí, the row could have resulted in serious injuries or fatalities.
Before imposing sentence yesterday, Judge Carroll Moran said he had to take into account Garda evidence that the nine men involved in the incident at Supermacs were "heavily involved" in a bitter feud that has resulted in four deaths since 2000.
"There is a lot of hype about this problem and some of it is exaggerated and we all appreciate that, but this problem has evolved over the last three to four years as an extremely serious problem and in fact it is the most serious problem in the city and it has to stop," said Judge Moran.
"I would be open to the most serious criticism and well justified criticism if I did other than try to bring an end to this mindless violence. It's going nowhere," he added.
Four of the nine - Patrick McCarthy (32), College Avenue, Moyross; Kieran Ryan (20), Pineview Gardens, Moyross; Edward McCarthy (24), O'Callaghan Avenue, Kileely, and David Sheehan (20), Cliona Park, Moyross - were each jailed for six years after being convicted by a jury of violent disorder outside the restaurant on May 27th, 2003.
David McCarthy (27), O'Callaghan Avenue, Kileely, was jailed for five years and three months after pleading guilty to the same charge.
Raymond Collopy (34), St Ita's Street, St Mary's Park, and Declan Sheehy (37), St Brendan's Street, St Mary's Park, were jailed for two years and three years respectively after they pleaded guilty to violent disorder outside Supermacs on the same date.
Philip Collopy (24), St Ita's Street, St Mary's Park, and Anthony Keane (41), St Munchin's Street, St Mary's Park, were jailed for two years each after pleading guilty to the unlawful possession of a weapon.
The court heard that eight of the nine men had a collective total of 73 previous convictions, with the exception of Raymond Collopy, who had none.
It is estimated that the legal fees to barristers and solicitors in the case topped €250,000. There were also major Garda costs for the security operation at the courthouse.