TRAVELLER MOTHER DESCRIBES DAWN REMOVAL FROM BALLYBANE

Date Published: 18-Sep-2007

A member of a traveller family has spoken of the disturbance caused by a joint Garda and Galway city council operation to remove Traveller families from a Ballybane housing estate.

A spokesperson for Galway city council confirmed the travellers were asked to move to Carrowbrowne halting site on the Headford Road but they failed to do so within 24 hours of a court order.

Four of the five families are from Galway and are on the city council housing list.

A heavy Garda presence, Bailiffs and city council officials arrived at Fana Glas estate at 7 o’clock this morning.

They forceably towed two caravans to Carrowbrowne while two more moved off by themselves.

Mother of two Bridget Cleary was inside one of the caravans towed by the authorities.

She said her baby started screaming and didn’t know what was happening.