Most of carvans camped on Curragh plain still there, court hears
The majority of more than 80 caravans camping on Department of Defence-owned lands in the Curragh, Co Kildare, were still there on Friday morning despite a High Court order that they leave by 1pm, a judge was told.
As a result, Mr Justice Brian Cregan ordered that interim injunctions he granted on Tuesday over the alleged trespass should remain in place until further order.
Advertisement
More than 80 caravans, believed to be occupied by members of the Traveller Community who come over from England and France for the summer, had parked at a number of different locations on the Curragh plain since March, the court heard earlier this week.
Their presence has resulted in "mountains of rubbish" having to be removed at a cost so far of €31,700.
Some €186,000 was spent on similar clean ups last year in what has become an annual problem for land owners, residents, and horse trainers in the Curragh, the Minister for Defence has claimed in proceedings seeking to remove the caravans.
There have also been problems with noise nuisance, scramblers and quad bikes causing damage to greens on a golf course, dogs running around horses being trained and animals being left to graze on the plain.
Advertisement
The Defence Forces have been prevented from carrying out training on a firing range on the lands.
The case was returned to Friday when there was no appearance for any of the caravan dwellers, including 21 named individuals who it had been possible to identify.
The court heard the injunction notices were either handed to the occupants or pinned by bailiffs to the caravan doors and included a "plain English" version of them ordered by the court.
Kelley Smith SC, for the minister, said that as of 10.10am on Friday, there were 60 caravans at four different locations on the lands. One slightly troubling aspect was that one group of caravans had moved from one location within the lands to another, she said.
Advertisement
She applied to make the interim injunctions interlocutory which means they stay in place pending the full hearing of the minister's case against the defendants.
Mr Justice Cregan said he was satisfied to grant the orders sought and said in notifying the defendants about the orders they should be informed, again in plain English, that further applications may be brought against them.
Ms Smith said in event of failure to comply with the orders, it may be necessary to apply for attachment and committal orders seeking the jailing of the defendants for contempt.
ends
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-royal aide blasts betrayal of SAS heroes - former Special Forces officer backs Mail's campaign to protect Northern Ireland veterans from legal witch hunts
A former royal aide and SAS officer has backed the Mail's campaign to protect Northern Ireland veterans from legal witch hunts. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a godfather to Prince George, joined the call for an end to so-called lawfare that dates back to the Troubles. This week, the Mail launched the Stop The SAS Betrayal campaign to protect troops from being hounded by the threat of legal action decades after they served. This newspaper is demanding that ministers reverse their bid to repeal clauses in the Legacy Act that provide protections for Northern Ireland veterans, or produce a proper alternative. At the centre of the campaign is a case involving 12 SAS soldiers whose killing of four IRA terrorists in 1992 has been found 'unlawful' by a coroner. They could face murder charges. Last night, a petition backing the soldiers had gained more than 155,000 signatures. A parliamentary debate on the issue is scheduled for July 14. Mr Lowther-Pinkerton, a former SAS squadron commander and principal private secretary to Princes William and Harry, and latterly the Duchess of Cambridge, said such cases put the regiment's future in jeopardy. He added: 'This is an abhorrent injustice. Though bound by the SAS strict code of discretion, I know from my experience SAS soldiers have proved they can meet any threat – except, perhaps, the one they face from lawfare. 'It seems to me the British have a decision to make. Either they move to protect their SAS soldiers – as they have protected them – or they do nothing and lose the SAS. 'In capability and character, this is a strategic asset no other country has and which – any day now – the British people might sorely need. 'This is why I wholeheartedly support the Daily Mail's campaign to protect our veterans.' Mr Lowther-Pinkerton, who rarely speaks publicly due to his previous royal roles, has joined forces with other SAS commanders and MPs such as Sir David Davis and Mark Francois, as well as former veterans minister Johnny Mercer. The father-of-four was a British Army officer for 20 years, serving in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Iraq. His first Royal appointment was as an equerry to the Queen Mother from 1984 to 1986. His intervention came as the Prime Minister's veterans' tsar branded plans to amend the Legacy Act 'immoral' and 'two-tier justice'. David Johnstone, the Veterans' Commissioner for Northern Ireland, said up to 70 former soldiers could be forced into the dock as a result. He told The Daily Telegraph: 'It's lopsided, it's two-tier justice, and if the Government thinks that they can reverse this and there not be push-back from veterans, well, I think they're in for a surprise, because veterans are just not going to stand for it. 'The pressure is on that this Government should not make reversals that will put soldiers in the dock for doing their jobs. 'The then-Labour government came to the society in Northern Ireland, and said, 'Look, in order to have peace, you must accept terrorists being let out of jail… royal pardons, effective amnesty for terrorists'. 'Then there was the decommissioning of weapons, which meant that the evidence that could have put terrorists in prison was destroyed. So society was asked to accept all of those things. 'And yet, 27 years on, we have this ongoing vexatious lawfare which is targeting and demonising those who wore the uniform.' The Mail can also reveal that SAS veterans facing a possible criminal probe over their killing of four IRA terrorists in February 1992 are to stage a re-enactment. The reconstruction of events at Clonoe, County Tyrone, is part of a bid by the Ministry of Defence to instigate a judicial review of the verdict at Northern Ireland Coroner's Court and have the ruling overturned. Coroner Mr Justice Humphreys found the soldiers' use of force was excessive, even though the terrorists had a heavy machine gun, a medium machine gun and AK47 assault rifles. Peter Clancy, Kevin Barry O'Donnell and Sean O 'Farrell (pictured left to right) were shot dead by SAS soldiers in 1992. They were all members of the IRA and had used a machine gun mounted on a lorry to shoot up a police station Former SAS Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) George Simm said: 'The reconstruction aims to provide a true account of what happened to balance the judge's version of events. 'The team as a whole are clear in their minds the IRA fired first. Some of the soldiers observed muzzle flashes through their night sights. 'There are also accounts of thumps into the ground alongside where they were hiding. 'Forensics say there were marks on the bushes and branches. And, one of the team got hit in the face. There was no 'subject-matter expert' [expert witness] at the hearing as the judge assumed his version of events was correct. 'He gave the appearance of choosing evidence to suit his narrative, rather than looking at the evidence objectively.' Following the coroner's decision earlier this year, files have been passed to Northern Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions, which could lead to some of the SAS veterans being charged. The Legacy Act was introduced by then veterans minister Mr Mercer in 2023 to stop Troubles veterans being prosecuted decades after the conflict. Labour's manifesto last year included a pledge to repeal it. British soldiers were said to be constantly looking over their shoulders while based in Northern Ireland and that it was an 'extremely dangerous place'. Pictured is a British Paratrooper detaining a youth during riots on Bloody Sunday in 1972 The Act was found to breach the European Convention on Human Rights, which places an investigative duty on the state where its agents may have caused death or injury. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has defended the move, telling the Mail that any government would have to repeal unlawful legislation. He said the Government was 'engaging with veterans and all interested parties over future legislation, and we will ensure there are far better protections in place'. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that it had lodged an application seeking permission to judicially review the coroner's recent findings and verdict in the Clonoe inquest'. A defence source said: 'We consider that the findings and verdict do not properly reflect the context of the incident nor the challenging circumstances in which members of the Armed Forces served in Northern Ireland. 'The MoD is funding the veterans in question to seek judicial review and providing them with welfare support.'
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Marks & Spencer hits out at grocery red tape madness
The boss of Marks & Spencer has hit out over 'bureaucratic madness' ahead of costly Northern Ireland red tape coming into force next week. Stuart Machin took aim at the changes which are being introduced despite Labour's claim to have reset EU relations. The rules mean thousands of everyday grocery products will require special labels when they are shipped from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Retailers already have to do this for all meat and dairy products under the Windsor Framework agreement between the UK and the EU. And even more products – from fruit and vegetables to fish and pizza – need extra checks from July 1. Machin said it meant retailers were facing 'yet another layer of unnecessary costs and red tape'. M&S operates 22 shops in Northern Ireland. Its operations in the region, like those of other UK-wide retailers, are complicated by the fact that Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is in the EU. Machin (pictured) said that more than a thousand M&S products will require a 'not for EU' label and another 400 will need to go through extra checks in the so-called 'red lane' for goods. In a post on X, he added: 'Quite frankly it's bureaucratic madness, confusing for customers and completely unnecessary given the UK has some of the highest food standards in the world.' Andrew Opie, director of food at the British Retail Consortium, said: 'The thousands of additional products needing 'not for EU' labelling in July combined with hard-line enforcement means retailers face a huge challenge maintaining choice for their customers in Northern Ireland.' In February, M&S managing director for food Alex Freudmann criticised the heavy paperwork involved with sending goods from Britain to the Republic of Ireland. This paperwork 'takes hours to complete and demands detail as niche as the Latin name for the chicken that is used in our chicken tikka masala,' he said. A Government spokesman said: 'Not for EU' labelling was agreed as part of the Windsor Framework in 2023. Labelling will only be required for certain food and drink products. Many things like cakes, bread, pasta and alcohol will not need to be labelled. 'When implemented, agreements we secured at the UK-EU Summit will reduce the need for this labelling and make it easier to move goods between the UK and Europe. 'We will continue to work closely with businesses to support them in implementing these arrangements, helping them to continue to move their goods smoothly across the UK.'
Times
8 hours ago
- Times
Revealed: Palestine Action's map of UK targets
Palestine Action has drawn up a new list of about 150 government buildings, military bases, financial institutions and insurance firms to target in attacks. The organisation, which is due to be proscribed as a terrorist group, has urged its followers to damage the sites by smashing windows and equipment, spraying blood-red paint and pouring concrete into water pipes. The 148 UK targets are included on a map the group uploaded to its website. Alongside each target is a reason for its inclusion. For example, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development HQ in Westminster is there due to 'awarding unmanned aerial vehicle contracts'. The Ministry of Defence's Whitehall premises has also been designated a target due to the same reasoning. The map highlights pilot training schools at RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath, both in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valle in Anglesey, north Wales. Allianz, one of the world's largest insurance firms, has 11 UK locations on the list and has been featured due to the company 'investing in, and providing insurance for, Israel's biggest weapons producer'. BNY Mellon, one of the largest custodian banks, has six locations listed because it 'invests in excess of $12 million in Elbit Systems'. It is not clear how the list has been drawn up but many of the targets are supposedly connected to Elbit, the military technology company. Shannon airport, in County Clare, Republic of Ireland, is also featured, but no reason is given for its inclusion. The site includes a link to Palestine Action's 'underground manual', which states: 'It's time to pick your target. Head to our website to find a list of secondary and primary targets who enable and profit from the Israeli weapons industry in Britain. Making your job to pick one a slightly easier process 'Each is just as culpable as the other, and applying pressure to them is key to breaking the links which sustain Israel's arms trade. It might be simpler to pick a target based on your locality, making it easier to plan, conduct the recces and save some transport costs!' The guide includes various ways to attack sites, such as smashing windows and equipment with sledgehammers. Elbit has faced most of Palestine Action's wrath, its sites repeatedly targeted at a cost of millions of pounds to the company. Last year Palestine Action carried out almost daily protests at Elbit sites. One such incident in Bristol involved smashing through a factory fence with a prison van and damaging the building with sledgehammers. Two police officers and a security guard were injured. In March analysis by The Sunday Times found that since its foundation in July 2020, Palestine Action has claimed responsibility for 356 direct actions on British-based defence and engineering firms, banks, insurance companies, estate agents and property companies, accountancy firms, universities and local government buildings the group claimed have links to Israeli defence firms. The Times can also reveal the organisation's close links to the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), believed by British officials to have direct ties to Iran. Since the announcement about Palestine Action's proscription, the IHRC has repeatedly posted on social media its support. IHRC was criticised by William Shawcross's independent review of Prevent as an 'Islamist group ideologically aligned with the Iranian regime' that has a history of 'extremist links and terrorist sympathies'. Shawcross said senior figures had espoused support for violent jihad and 'advocated for the extraction and eradication of 'Zionists''. Furthermore, Palestine Action has ties to Cage, the Islamist group that once praised Jihadi John as a 'beautiful young man'. The two groups released a joint statement condemning the government's counterextremism definition in March 2024. During the trial of the 'Elbit Eight' in 2023, Palestine Action and Cage ran a joint campaign to encourage demonstrations outside the trial and for supporters to attend court hearings. Palestine Action has used IHRC annual Quds Day marches as a recruiting tool for the group and the group's co-founder Huda Ammori has spoken at IHRC rallies. When The Times approached the IHRC about whether it funded Palestine Action, it said: 'While we support the aims and objectives of Palestine Action — namely, opposition to the crimes of Israel — we have not provided them with any financial or material support.' Regarding Shawcross's description, it said: 'Shawcross's assertion that IHRC is 'ideologically aligned' with Iran is not evidence. It is opinion, and a deeply prejudiced one at that.' Palestine Action was approached for comment.
