This article is from page 6 of the 2006-07-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
THE 13-member traveller family that moved onto the Ennis residence of the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, without his permission have moved off his property.
The move by the Molloy family to alternative accommodation at Clare County Council’s 16-bay emergency halting site outside Ennis came as gardaí confirmed yesterday that two formal complaints were received over the presence of the Molloys from residents living at the Bishop’s Court estate.
Speaking to The Clare People , Dr Walsh said yesterday that he was aware of at least one formal complaint to the Garda during the stay of the Molloys.
The family moved on to the Bishop’s Westbourne property in May while Dr Walsh was away and defied his request to move off the property.
Dr Walsh said, “I’m glad that the family has got somewhere. I like to do what I can, but obviously, my neighbours have rights too. A previous traveller family stayed on the grounds here for one and a half years and I didn’t receive any complaint.”
He added, “I’m happy that the council can provide for the family. It is a serious issue as there are 11 children there.”
The family’s two caravans are now in situ at the council’s emergency halting site on the Quin Road outside Ennis.
A spokesman at Ennis Garda Station said that two complaints were received from Bishop’s Court residents on July 7 and 9.
He said, “One complaint related to young lads scaling the walls of private properties, while the second related to a fire being lit in the grounds of the bishop’s and smoke blowing into the back gardens of the Bishop’s Court residences causing smoke damage to clothes.”
Dr Walsh confirmed he met with residents of Bishop’s Court over concerns they had on the difficulties been caused by the Molloys.
The Molloys had stayed at the Bishop’s residence for a number of months in the late 1990s and set up camp last May after returning from the UK.
The family moved to the UK after abandoning a council home they purchased through the Shared Ownership Scheme. The house remains unoccupied. The family did not want to return to the home as they believed they would get no peace there.