Gardai seized an arsenal of weapons during a day-long tense stand-off between two rival traveller families in Navan, Co Meath. Around 60 gardai, some in riot gear, swamped the area from yesterday morning after reports that a "major disturbance" was due to take place.
Two groups of about 100 travellers each had assembled in settled traveller estates about half-a-mile apart, according to Sgt Liam Buggy from Navan Garda Station.
It is understood that they had travelled from Longford, Mullingar, Dundalk, Tullamore and England. A number of tohers were intercepted by Welsh police as they were about to board the Holyhead ferry.
Sgt Buggy said he believed the travellers had been planning a "dirty fight" - where any implement can be used - in an ongoing feud. It is understood the feud is connected to the murder of a traveller in Finglas last December.
Vehicle checkpoints were set up during the day and gardai patrolled both camps.
Officers from Trim, Kells, Drogheda and Dundalk and a 28-member public order unit from Dublin in full riot gear were drafted in to help local gardai.
About 90 weapons were seized, including pitch forks, slash hooks, baseball bats and knives. There were also reports that the rival camps had supermarket trolleys full of rocks to be used in the expected battle.
Sgt Buggy said the two camps began to disperse yesterday afternoon, but the area was still tense late last night. There were no reports of injuries and no arrests. However, it is expected that proceedings will be taken at a later stage.
Sgt Ken Barrett, of Navan Garda Station, told the Irish times early today that it was "all quiet". Most of the visiting travellers had dispersed, scattering with the four "winds", while the riot squad had returned to its base in Dublin.