A district court heard today how a pregnant mother and her 13-year old niece were set upon by four men armed with a slash hook and shovel as part of an ongoing feud between two Traveller families.
Last Friday at Ennis District Court, a pitched battle involving up to 25 Travellers from the McDonagh and Mongan families took place inside and outside Ennis courtroom resulting in two people being removed to Ennis General Hospital. Gardai retrieved an axe and a wheel-brace from the scene.
Amid tight Garda security today in and around Ennis courthouse, members from the two families were brought to court separately from Garda custody, while their supporters were banned from entering the court grounds.
In court, Insp Tom Kennedy told of two separate violent incidents between the two families that occurred within a day of each other in Ennis town centre last July.
Insp Kennedy said that it will be alleged that four members of the Mongan family set upon a car being driven by Ms Julianne McDonagh — who was five months pregnant at the time — and her 13-year old niece, Shirley McDonagh on Ennis's Carmody Street on the 24th of July last.
Insp Kennedy said that Edward, Christopher, Bernard and Patrick Mongan with addresses at Belberry halting site in Waterford and a halting site at Mahon, Cork set upon the vehicle and broke the windows with a slash hook, shovel and pick axe handle with Shirley McDonagh sustaining a wound to her hip as a result of a shovel coming through the window.
In court yesterday, solicitor for the Mongans, Mr Ted McCarthy applied for bail for two of his clients currently in custody.
Referring to last Friday's violent incidents, Mr McCarthy said: "It wasn't a situation where my clients went looking for trouble. The two families were thrown together by circumstances. Trouble came looking for them, rather than they looking for trouble."
However, Judge Mangan refused bail and remanded Christopher and Patrick Mongan in custody to re-appear before Ennis District Court on the October 17th next.
Mr Edward Mongan was remanded on continuing bail to the same court date — Mr Mongan was the victim of a number of blows from a hatchet to the head in last week's incident and was yesterday in court showing a black eye, having been discharged from Ennis General Hospital earlier this week.
In relation to the fourth member of the Mongan family before the court, Mr Bernard Mongan failed to show and a bench warrant was served.
Four of the five McDonagh family members were remanded in custody to Ennis District Court on October 24th, while Mr Bernard McDonagh (35) of Ashline, Ennis — who suffered a wound to his back in last Friday disturbances — was remanded to re-appear before Ennis District Court next Friday, the October 10th.