‘Your savage behaviour shames Traveller people’

A JUDGE has said feuding Travellers in Ennis ‘have behaved like savages to each other’ and that they bring shame to their community.

Judge Gerald Keys made his comments before jailing three men for a series of confrontations between the Sherlock and Molloy families who are related to each other.

Cumulatively, Judge Keys imposed jail terms totalling 50 years and seven months on 12 members and associates of the Sherlock and Molloy families concerning four separate prosecutions.

The vast proportion of the jail terms are suspended and are to run concurrently to the jail terms he imposed.

Addressing the offenders at Ennis Circuit Court in Co. Clare, Judge Keys told them that with the feud ‘all of you have been a disgrace to your families but more importantly to your fellow Travellers’.

He said: ‘All of you have brought great shame on your community which seriously tests the patience of lawabiding citizens.’

The judge added the offenders’ actions can and do lead to resentment towards Travellers. ‘This has to stop,’ he said.

Declan Sherlock, 23, formerly of Dromard, Ennis; James Molloy, 20, and Thomas Molloy, 26, both of Ballaghboy halting site, were each jailed for two years for assaults.