The tradition of throwing coins to Traveller children and teenagers from a bridge at the entrance to the annual Listowel races looks set to end following a court ruling.
For decades up to 100 Traveller children from settled and non-settled Traveller families in Listowel have gathered underneath the footbridges in the Feale River holding cardboard boxes and shouting at racegoers: "Throw me down something."
Last week Judge Carroll Moran in Listowel Circuit Court upheld a District Court conviction, however, and ruled that it was an offence to allow children to beg.
Judge Moran turned down an appeal by Mr Stephen McCarthy, of Feale Drive, Listowel, against a conviction for allowing his two children and a nephew to beg.
Mr McCarthy had said his father and his grandfather had engaged in the activity, and it was part of growing up in Listowel.
Listowel Traveller spokesman Mr Leonard Evans said yesterday "throw me down something" was part of the heritage of Listowel races for at least 50 years.
He said settled people were just as upset as Travellers over the ruling, vowing the children would gather once again at next month's race meeting.
"All the Travellers are very unhappy with this decision. We didn't feel it was begging; we are not asking for money in particular. The people under the bridge ask for 'something', and are often thrown down bags of chocolate and sweets. I did it myself until I was 18."
He said money collected by the children was spent at a fair which came to Listowel for the races.
Judge Moran said his hands were tied under the Children's Act, and he had no alternative but to impose a conviction. "That seems to put down a marker for next September."
He applied the Probation Act, but did not impose any penalty.