Shots fired in Limerick feud for second time in less than a week

A TRAVELLER feud in south Limerick continues to escalate after shots were fired for a second time in less than a week.

Armed garda checkpoints have been taking place in and around Kilmallock since the shooting incident on Friday night. 

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A spokesperson confirmed gardaí received reports of an alleged discharge of a firearm in Kilmallock at approximately 11.30pm on Friday night, July 11.

“No injuries or damage to property were reported to gardaí. Enquiries into the incident are ongoing,” said the garda spokesperson.

Limerick Live understands the gun attack took place on the outskirts of the town on the road towards Elton.

It is the second gun attack in less than a week as gardaí said they received a report of a firearm allegedly discharged in the Charleville Road area of Kilmallock on Sunday, July 6 around midnight.

The gun attack is the latest incident involving two rival Traveller factions that has included a car being rammed off the road and three car-loads of men carrying weapons, including slash hooks, being intercepted by gardai in Kilmallock in May and now shootings.

There have been a number of so-called Traveller “call-out” videos since the gun attack. Rival family members offer to fight each other and exchange insults on social media. One man refers to named individuals as “dead men walking” and says “get your funeral boxes organised”.

A video, since deleted, was uploaded to Facebook by one side of the feud after the gun attack on Friday. It purportedly shows a man wearing gloves in a car with a shotgun. The caption on the video names an individual with the words “hold tight”.

There have also been a number of chilling threats made on social media.

They include: “There is plenty more houses around boys, don't think we don't no (sic). We have 5 more places to tick of the list so if ye wanna go this road with us we can go. We are locked and prepared for whatever comes.”

Another said: “Ye hardly thought ye could come to our territory… Ye got rammed and shot, ye will never come to our town again ye cowardly c***s”.

One post reads: “I hope ye feel very proud - little men the lot of ye for doing something like that.”