This article is from page 17 of the 2006-05-23 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
A 13-MEMBER Traveller family were last night getting ready to defy a request from the Bishop of Killaloe to leave his Ennis residence.
On Saturday, without the permission of Dr Willie Walsh, Tomas and Rosie Molloy and their 11 children pulled their two caravans and one van into the Ennis residence of Dr Walsh.
The move by the Molloys came just three days after Dr Walsh allowed a traveller wedding reception take place on the lawn of his residence on Wednesday of last week.
The Molloys had stayed on the Bishop’s grounds for a number of months in the late 1990s, and set up camp at the weekend without permission from the Bishop as he was away.
“The bishop has given us until today to leave. But we have been in touch with the council and they are having a meeting about us on Wednesday so we won’t know until Thursday what will happen to us,” said Thomas Molloy.
Mr Molloy said that the family has just returned from London.
“We had no back garden, no front garden. We needed to move on. Four of the boys sleep in the van with the other children and ourselves sleeping in the two caravans.”
Mr Molloy said that his wife Rosie is seven months pregnant with their 12th child – already, the couple have six girls and five boys.
“We had a shared ownership home here before and it was too much hassle. All we want is a corner of a field to put our two caravans into. We don’t want to move into a halting site or a council home.
“We just hope that the Bishop will allow us to remain here until Thursday, because we can’t take the chance to park around Ennis.”
On the education of his school-going children, Mr Molloy said that the family had been in contact with the traveller liaison officer to arrange for schooling.
“I’m disqualified from driving and Rosie will be disqualified for two years from September, so it is going to be very difficult.
“All we want now is just something temporary, the council to give us a three bedroom house, because it is impossible to keep the kids clean.”
Dr Walsh was away yesterday and was not available for comment. However, a diocesan spokesman said that the travellers remaining on the Bishop’s grounds was “a very temporary measure”.