Two men released without charge over shots fired at Cork house

Two men have been released without charge in Cork after they were arrested for questioning about an incident where shots were fired at a house in the city earlier this week. Gardaí are now preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Detectives from Mayfield, backed up by members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU), detectives from Gurranebraher and uniformed personnel, arrested the two men in the Hollyhill area of Cork's northside early on Thursday morning.

The two men were arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and taken to Mayfield Garda station where they were questioned for several hours before being released late Thursday night.

The two men, who are both in their early 20s, were questioned about an incident where shots were fired at a house in Ard Bhaile in Mayfield and a number of cars were damaged at around 8pm on Monday night.

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Gardaí believe the incident is linked to an ongoing feud between a number of Traveller families in Cork which dates back to an incident when a young man was attacked in Blackpool on the city's northside on January 19th.

The man from one of the families was attacked by a group of up to 10 people outside the Reel Picture cinema in Blackpool and received a number of blows to the head from one of the group armed with a hurley.

Gardaí believe that assault was the latest incident in a long standing feud between two extended families and they began an investigation even though they did not receive a formal complaint from the injured man.

Five days later, the ASU visited two halting sites and spoke to both sides after the rival families posted videos online within hours of each other when masked men armed with machetes and other implements issued threats to each other.

However, a member of another Traveller family from Limerick, travelled to Cork and brokered a peace deal which appeared to be holding with figures from both sides posting messages on social media to say the feud was over.

But earlier this month the peace deal broke down with both sides again turning to social media to issue challenges to the other side to fight them, but matters escalated with a series of petrol bomb attacks.

Petrol bombs were thrown at one house at Dunmore Gardens in Knocknaheeny and at a second house at St John's Square in Blackpool while a car was burnt out near Blarney, all on the night of March 8th.

Gardaí believe the firing of shots at the house in Ard Bhaile in Mayfield is a continuation of the same feud and gardaí have increased patrols in the area to try and prevent any repeat of the attacks.

Meanwhile, gardaí say an incident in Mahon on Cork’s southside where shots were fired at a house on Avenue de Rennes on Tuesday night are not related to the ongoing feud on the city’s northside.

No one was injured when at least two shots were fired at the house by a gang of between two and four men who fled the scene on foot. Gardaí say they are keeping an open mind on the motive for the attack.