GARDAÍ investigating a shooting in Co Waterford believe the incident may be related to a feud between members of the Traveller community that began in the city more than a year ago.
A 23-year-old man received facial injuries during the shooting at a halting site in the Shandon area at about 10.20pm on Wednesday. The man was taken to Waterford Regional Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. However, he was discharged in the early hours of yesterday.
Gardaí in Dungarvan sealed off the scene of the incident pending technical examination. No weapon was discovered and no arrests have been made in relation to the incident. However, Supt Tom O’Grady yesterday said one line of inquiry connected the shooting to a feud that begun in July 2008 but has since died down. “We believe that the shooting may be connected to the Travellers’ feud in Waterford [city].”
Last year, 138 incidents arising from the dispute were recorded, while some 72 people were arrested with about 40 of these appearing in court.
Serious injuries, from incidents such as shootings, beatings and other attacks, were inflicted during the dispute.
Three horses had to be put down in the city last December after being mutilated in two attacks believed to be connected to the feud. The horses all had legs almost totally severed by swords in the attacks.
In addition, about a dozen of Waterford City Council’s houses were damaged in petrol bombings and other attacks, causing hundreds of thousands of euro worth of damage. In separate attacks last year, a teenage girl and a teenage boy were injured in drive-by style shootings in the city.
The feud began when a bare-knuckle fight between rival Traveller families, at the Six Cross Roads, escalated and resulted in further assaults, arson, criminal damage and car-rammings along with numerous shootings. It was hoped last February the feud had come to an end when a peace deal was brokered between the families involved in the dispute.
Anyone with information on the shooting can contact gardaí in Dungarvan on 058 48607.
