Five Arrested As Gardaí Seize Feud Weapons

Five men have been arrested in Athlone after gardaí seized weapons used in an ongoing feud among Travelling families.

The men were arrested after a search of 11 premises in and around Athlone this morning.

Gardaí took away a number of hedge knives, sledgehammers and other knives from the houses searched this morning.

The searches were part of a garda operation in the aftermath of a series of violent incidents in the Athlone and Moate area.

The latest incident caps a year of ongoing feuds between travelling families in the Irish midlands that last week witnessed a brutal attack on a teenager and his father at a Clara Market in Offaly.

The boy (18) and his stall holder father were attacked by at least eight people brandishing weapons, including slash hooks, as stunned shoppers looked on.

The attackers, most of whom were female, also caused extensive damage to the father’s vehicle.

The injured teenager was taken to Tullamore hospital with minor injuries but was released a short time later.

No arrests were made at the scene of the attack, but Tullamore Gardai said they were following a definite line of enquiry and expect to make arrests in due course.

The violent incidents are not believed to be connected to last week's fire in Longford or the recent incident in Tullamore.

(DW/GK)