Shocking images have emerged online showing the scene in Limerick where a number of vehicles were written off in alleged ramming incidents.
According to officers who attended the scene, machetes were also allegedly produced by those involved as a large section of the town was sealed off.
It is understood that Gardaí had to clear the perpetrators from the streets using “batons” in order to restore order in the west county of Limerick town.
READ MORE: Armed gardaí patrol in Irish town as feud violence leaves town 'like a warzone'
That’s according to Local Fianna Fáil councillor Kevin Sheahan, who is a former Garda, while one local even said: “The town is like a bombshell. These people are out of control”.
At least three separate groups are reportedly involved in a local feud that sources say they fear will result in serious injury or worse.
Sources say a gang linked to a notorious crime family, which it is claimed have attempted to extort lands and properties from locals, have been causing “havoc” in the town for several weeks.
Speaking about the incident, Cllr Kevin Sheahan said: “This is shameful that this could happen in a town in my municipal district, and that this could happen at a time of the year when traditionally extra steps are taken by the Gardai in anticipation that this type of thing is likely to happen.”
“I think it is a disgrace that the town of Rathkeale is getting negatively labelled again. I know a lot of people in the settled community and the traveller community and the overwhelming majority of them are A1, they are good citizens.”
“The ones that come home for Christmas and triple the population – they are not the people causing this grief - they are people that come home to have celebrations, there might be incidents but they are manageable incidents,” said Cllr Sheehan.
He claimed those involved in the current feuding in the town are “outsiders that were previously in Rathkeale and they are back here now”.
“It may not be a popular solution, but I believe that the heavy-handed approach that these people are taking in Rathkeale, needs to be responded to with heavyn-handed treatment from An Garda Siochana.”
“This means you get in and clear them off the streets with batons or whatever, and you use whatever resources are available to you, and you have to do it with numbers, you can’t do this with half a dozen Gardai.”
Cllr Sheehan said Gardai “have to absolutely crack-down and put a stop to this, and let it be known by the people who contemplate doing these things that this is not acceptable and will not be accepted”.
“The ordinary people of Rathkeale, both the settled and Traveller community are totally opposed to all this, they don't deserve this, no community deserves this.”
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