Former Olympic boxing star Francis Barrett says he is afraid to return to Ireland because of an ongoing feud between two Traveller families.
Earlier this week, members of the Barrett and McDonagh families engaged in a vicious brawl outside a garage on the Tuam Road in Galway. It was the latest development in a bitter feud between the two families which has raged for eight years, and which began when Francis refused to participate in a bare-knuckle street fight with a member of the McDonagh clan. At one stage, Francis, who carried the Irish flag at the opening of the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, was attacked and suffered a stab wound.
He moved to London after that, where he turned professional and now makes his living as a career boxer. "It has been going on now since 1997. . . I don't want to have anything to do with it and it is the main reason why I don't return to Ireland as often as I would like," he said.
"I am a professional boxer, training hard at the moment, and cannot afford to get caught up in this sort of thing. I have put in a huge effort over the years and it could all go out the window."The violence on Monday shocked onlookers as members of both families engaged in a brawl on the side of the road. A Garda spokesperson said they were investigating the incident and were appealing for witnesses.