This article is from page 15 of the 2006-07-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
THE Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh this week admitted that the presence of a 13-member Traveller family is causing difficulties to neighbours living adjacent to his Ennis residence.
Almost two months ago, the Molloy family moved onto the lawn of Dr Walsh’s Westbourne residence without the permission of Dr Walsh and defied his request to leave the property.
Speaking to The Clare People , Dr Walsh said, “I am still anxious that the family find alternative accommodation and I have been talking to Clare County Council on the issue, though nothing is finalised.
“It is not clear if the family are going back to the UK or staying here in Ennis.”
Dr Walsh admitted that the situation was causing difficulties to neighbours living in the Bishop’s Court estate and confirmed that he had met with householders from the estate.
He said, “I have spoken and met with some of the neighbours.”
Asked what difficulties the Molloys were causing, Dr Walsh said, “A lot of it has to do with the Traveller children trespassing on neighbours’ property.”
Dr Walsh said that he was hoping for an early resolution to the issue.
The Molloys had stayed at the Bishop’s residence for a number of months in the late 1990s and set up camp last May without permission from the Bishop while he was away.
They moved to the UK after abandoning a house at Gordon Drive, which they purchased from the council through the shared ownership scheme. The house remains unoccupied.
Speaking at the site yesterday, Rosie Molloy admitted that the children had caused difficulties for the neighbours by trespassing on their property, but this had stopped over the past couple of days. She said that the family would not be moving back into the home at Gordon Drive. She said, “We would have no peace there.”
Ms Molloy said that there were vacancies at the council’s emergency site on the Quin Road and, asked if they would move there, Ms Molloy said, “I don’t know. We would prefer here than there.”