Travellers close Ballybofey.

smashey

Right, rant time. The weekend before last, Ballybofey was basically closed due to the behaviour of a crowd of travellers and this was by no means the first time this has happened.

I'm going to dispense with the PC crap here and just ask - why do they get away with this? They turn up and cause complete chaos yet they seem to be immune from the law. If any of us did even a fraction of the stuff they get up to, we'd be up before a Judge at the next sitting in Letterkenny.

Is it a case that the PC shite has gone too far and they have become untouchable? A sort of inverse discrimination?

Any thoughts?

Senna

In my line of work, there's alot of regulations in Travellers favour, but thankfully they can be handled (or not as the case my be) without too much trouble.
But i do agree that there is too much lee-way given to them, there's always a PC nut to defend there rights just because they are a minority. This coupled with the fact that alot of people (garda included) are frighten to confront them (i dont blame them) means they can get away with things like blocking a whole town.

byte

Dare I ask what they got up to?

smashey

byte wrote: »

Dare I ask what they got up to?

Just the usual, alcohol followed by most establishments closing for the day.

Lemming

smashey wrote: »

I'm going to dispense with the PC crap here and just ask - why do they get away with this? They turn up and cause complete chaos yet they seem to be immune from the law. If any of us did even a fraction of the stuff they get up to, we'd be up before a Judge at the next sitting in Letterkenny.

Is it a case that the PC shite has gone too far and they have become untouchable? A sort of inverse discrimination?

Sorry to hear about Balleybofey smashey. Nice town and I spent some time up there a few years ago seeing a lovely girl. Alas it didn't work out. But I digress ...

To answer your question on travellers (in part) and the law, it's very difficult to issue a summons to someone with no fixed abode. This is compounded by the behaviour that will be exhibited whenever the gardai/social welfare officers/etc. go knocking at a campsite. There's suddenly 20 of "dessie" or the like and it's next to impossible to track down who is who; in part a deliberate act by some travellers to frustrate the law et al.

That's as I understand it from bits and bobs I've picked up from relatives working in various civil service departments that may have encounters with the travelling community.

smashey

Lemming wrote: »

Sorry to hear about Balleybofey smashey. Nice town and I spent some time up there a few years ago seeing a lovely girl. Alas it didn't work out. But I digress ...

To answer your question on travellers (in part) and the law, it's very difficult to issue a summons to someone with no fixed abode. This is compounded by the behaviour that will be exhibited whenever the gardai/social welfare officers/etc. go knocking at a campsite. There's suddenly 20 of "dessie" or the like and it's next to impossible to track down who is who; in part a deliberate act by some travellers to frustrate the law et al.

That's as I understand it from bits and bobs I've picked up from relatives working in various civil service departments that may have encounters with the travelling community.

Thanks Lemming, I understand the frustrations with regards to applying the law but surely the Gardai should be able to summon enough manpower and lock them up for the night at least. The rest of the population have the right to enjoy a night out.

implausible

Transits parked bumper to bumper both sides of the street - they're great parkers, I'll give them that! Everyone left the town, which gave them more space to park. Apparently, stuff was lifted from some of the shops, but nothing major-think the garda presence must've done the job.

In fairness, it's hard to blame business owners for closing, the damage they usually cause is not worth any few quid they make. As far as I know, only one pub remained open.

I would consider myself very open-minded but when it comes to this minority...

muffler

byte wrote: »

Dare I ask what they got up to?

They took up all the on-street parking spaces and didnt "pay and display"

The town was empty on the saturday night. In fact it was empy most of the day. I drove past McGuigans bar in Stranorlar around 2 on Saturday afternoon and seen a guy working at the window shutters. I thought he was opening up but when I was coming back again around 5 the shutters were all down.

Most of the shops and pubs closed but a couple of the pubs stayed open with "back door" entry only. They performed their usual stunts of grabbing a few things here and there and yes they did get served in one pub which I wont name but then again that doesn't surprise me. My daughter came through the town late sat. night and said that she seen about 5 or 6 different fights involving the travellers (among themselves).

I agree entirely with what smashey has said. We couldn't walk into a shop and distract the poor girl behind the till while a couple of others fill their pockets.

Whats the answer though? It appears that the authorities just want to wash their hands of the problem.

donegalman1

The point Smashey makes is very valid in that the law seems to favour some and PC has been the rage of Dublin do gooders who never have to put up with it.

Having said that though, were the authorities challenged on this on the date in question. As I hear it pubs decided to close simply to keep them out and used this as a way of avoiding the issue. rather than refuse them entry the pubs took it upon themselves to pretend to be closed (Backdoors open to anyone who knew). Its a grey area the pubs exploited. Its regrettable that they have to, but it would be wrong to say travellers closed the town. The town pretended to be closed to keep travellers out of their establishments, rightly or wrongly.

In some respects if they had have stayed open and drained Garda resources then perhaps the issue would come to a head nationally. I gather though that the gardai asked some venues to close also. This to me is not the same as closing the street for a parade, this is giving into intimidation and not been given the resources to tackle the problem.

It's a pity that small rural towns are always confronted with this problem. The PDs and the like would change their stance if Dublin 4 was the venue once and a while.

Lemming

donegalman1 wrote: »

The point Smashey makes is very valid in that the law seems to favour some and PC has been the rage of Dublin do gooders who never have to put up with it.

Did you read any of what I said regarding law? As for people from Dublin never having to put up with it ... you haven't a f*cking notion of what you speak. You really, really haven't. That remark is just plain ignorance.

It's a pity that small rural towns are always confronted with this problem. The PDs and the like would change their stance if Dublin 4 was the venue once and a while.

If ever I saw a chip on someone's shoulder. I'm surprised you're able to sit at your computer long enough to type without the weight of that chip crushing you ...

You think small rural towns are the only places to deal with this?

muffler

Lemming I assume you're from Cork

Lemming

muffler wrote: »

Lemming I assume you're from Cork

Oh, sorry. I forgot to finish that last question with with "BAI!!" :pac:

donegalman1

My point lemming, which was using parts of Dublin as a metaphor, quite unlike your attack on me was meant that many of the people in great social neighbourhoods and backgrounds are quick to make and support all these liberal politically correct laws. It is a fact that these problems do not close down Dublin.

I also find it hard to believe that gardai could not go in and arrest people regardless of where they live. If it was a murder investigation, do you mean to tell me it would be left as they wouldn't know where to summons.

If there was a proper crackdown on these matters you can be sure of a plentiful supply of commentators on the likes of Questions and Answers telling us how unfair and racist that the law was upheld.

Many of our laws and social agenda are dictated by people and press, mainly based in Dublin who really have little experience of these types of matters. Ireland in general is often talked down to.

I doubt in anycase this behaviour would be tolerated in Ballsbridge, Howth or the likes.

Lemming

donegalman1 wrote: »

My point lemming, which was using parts of Dublin as a metaphor, quite unlike your attack on me was meant that many of the people in great social neighbourhoods and backgrounds are quick to make and support all these liberal politically correct laws. It is a fact that these problems do not close down Dublin.

I also find it hard to believe that gardai could not go in and arrest people regardless of where they live. If it was a murder investigation, do you mean to tell me it would be left as they wouldn't know where to summons.

If there was a proper crackdown on these matters you can be sure of a plentiful supply of commentators on the likes of Questions and Answers telling us how unfair and racist that the law was upheld.

Many of our laws and social agenda are dictated by people and press, mainly based in Dublin who really have little experience of these types of matters. Ireland in general is often talked down to.

I doubt in anycase this behaviour would be tolerated in Ballsbridge, Howth or the likes.

That was the biggest load of twaddle I've read in a long time. Chip & Shoulder come to mind. Again.

If you believe that Dublin is not affected by travellers you are sadly, sadly VERY f*cking mistaken. And I don't mean poor areas. I mean middle class & some affluent areas as well; for example Bushy park got destroyed a few years ago. Bushy park spans the following areas to name a few: Ballyboden, Rathfarnham, Templeogue, & Terenure.

The travellers know the laws regarding occupancy of land inside and out. They know the loop holes and flaws inside and out. They have been using these flaws to extort money out of communities around the country (Note for the mentally challenged, "around the country" includes Dublin) for some years now, with the premise that it's cheaper to pay them x amount than get a court order to have the Gardai move them on.

The gardai cannot simply go and arrest these people for reasons I pointed out above. Our laws would need a radical overhaul to deal with this. At this moment in time I think there are more pressing issues to worry about like ... oh I don't know;

Global economic meltdown
Health system in meltdown
Law enforcement in meltdown
etc.

Goodluck2me

Lemming wrote: »

Did you read any of what I said regarding law? As for people from Dublin never having to put up with it ... you haven't a f*cking notion of what you speak. You really, really haven't. That remark is just plain ignorance.
You think small rural towns are the only places to deal with this?

You honestly think that guards would ask the publicans of Ballsbridge to close down to save themselves from trouble of travellers? Rubbish. It wouldn't happen. Here's why
a) moral outrage etc
b) They would have enough manpower to be able to call in people from surrouding areas to deal with it.

Lemming wrote: »

If you believe that Dublin is not affected by travellers you are sadly, sadly VERY f*cking mistaken. And I don't mean poor areas. I mean middle class & some affluent areas as well; for example Bushy park got destroyed a few years ago. Bushy park spans the following areas to name a few: Ballyboden, Rathfarnham, Templeogue, & Terenure.

I agree about ~Bushy park, and of course the dodder banks a few years ago too. the laws have changed since then though with re: to rights to move people on.

The travellers know the laws regarding occupancy of land inside and out. They know the loop holes and flaws inside and out. They have been using these flaws to extort money out of communities around the country (Note for the mentally challenged, "around the country" includes Dublin) for some years now, with the premise that it's cheaper to pay them x amount than get a court order to have the Gardai move them on.

The gardai cannot simply go and arrest these people for reasons I pointed out above.

I'm pretty sure extortion is still Illegal in Ireland, although its been 3 months since I got my law degree, so who knows.




also smashey I couldn't agree more with re: to Ballybofey, its sad that they can come in here and close the town, and THEY are the ones closing it, saying the publicans choose to, implied they have the choicem when really they don't, is wrong. PC rubbish is the worst offspring of the 21st Century.

SocialWarfare

They cant all be arrested, 90% of the people in jail are travellers!! nevermind arresting more, they would have to build a new prison to house them all:rolleyes:
It costs 80,000euro a year to hold a prisoner so its far easier to just ignore most of them and cheaper too

HJL

One word: padraig nally



and yes, i know that is two words!!

the bolt

SocialWarfare wrote: »

They cant all be arrested, 90% of the people in jail are travellers!! nevermind arresting more, they would have to build a new prison to house them all:rolleyes:
It costs 80,000euro a year to hold a prisoner so its far easier to just ignore most of them and cheaper too

since when are 90% of people in jail been travellers

SocialWarfare

the bolt wrote: »

since when are 90% of people in jail been travellers

In 2005 when I was there, it was nothing but travellers, 90% is just an estimate but im damn sure im not far off

muffler

SocialWarfare wrote: »

In 2005 when I was there, it was nothing but travellers, 90% is just an estimate but im damn sure im not far off

I was going to post - "There is nothing like a dame troll" but couldn't after laughing so much.

Essexboy

smashey wrote: »

Right, rant time. The weekend before last, Ballybofey was basically closed due to the behaviour of a crowd of travellers and this was by no means the first time this has happened.

I'm going to dispense with the PC crap here and just ask - why do they get away with this? They turn up and cause complete chaos yet they seem to be immune from the law. If any of us did even a fraction of the stuff they get up to, we'd be up before a Judge at the next sitting in Letterkenny.

Is it a case that the PC shite has gone too far and they have become untouchable? A sort of inverse discrimination?

Any thoughts?

If Ballybofey was bypassed as promised this woulld not have affected through traffic.
I drove through the town last year and all the traffic was at a standstill. Why? two locals stopped their cars for a long chat and damn everyone else.

smashey

Essexboy wrote: »

If Ballybofey was bypassed as promised this woulld not have affected through traffic.
I drove through the town last year and all the traffic was at a standstill. Why? two locals stopped their cars for a long chat and damn everyone else.

Traffic congestion is normal for Ballybofey.

My rant was about all the pubs and hotels closing.