TRAVELLERS MOVE IN AT OLD GALTEE SITE
A group of travellers have moved in to the old Galtee Bacon Factory site at Cahir Hill, Mitchelstown.
Locals claim that the group removed barriers and cut the chain on the gate at the site and are now camping there. Once the site of the bacon factory, the land is owned by the Dairygold Co-Op and has been empty for sometime.
A spokesperson for Dairygold would not comment on the incident.
Mitchelstown Gardai told The Avondhu that they had received no complaint from the owners of the site and therefore were not involved.
It is believed that the Travellers are involved in painting hay barns in the area and that they were moved on from Kilbehenny when Gardai arrived with a court order for their removal.
There are reports that between seven and ten caravans have now arrived at the site and it is expected that more will follow.
Cllr Eddie Ryan (FF) who organised a community meeting in Kilbehenny about the issue in that area is not surprised that the Travellers have moved to Mitchelstown.
“These Travellers have been coming to this area for years now. They are involved in painting hay barns and making gates and the like. In Kilbehenny over 25 families were living at the roadside for over two months with no sanitary facilities and the danger that there would be an accident.
Now, that they have moved on, the council are left with a massive clean up bill and are fencing off the area,” Cllr Ryan told The Avondhu.
Published:
Thursday 18th June 6:30pm