A BAN on weddings in Rathkeale during the month of December has been suggested as an answer to coping with the influx of visiting Travellers from England into the West Limerick town at Christmastime.
A BAN on weddings in Rathkeale during the month of December has been suggested as an answer to coping with the influx of visiting Travellers from England into the West Limerick town at Christmastime.Local Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary believes the solution to the mayhem that has become a regular feature in the town over Christmas does not lie with the Gardaí alone.
“Throw all the police you like at Rathkeale, but it won’t solve the problem. Part of the problem is the over facilitation of weddings,” he claimed.
He said that up to 16 weddings take place in the town during December and this was responsible for bringing huge numbers of Travellers from England and further afield to Rathkeale.
Speaking at this month’s Adare-Rathkeale municipal district meeting, Cllr Keary went so far as to suggest that some of the weddings “are a sham” due to the influence of alcohol.
“Grooms often have to be dragged drunk from local pubs on their wedding day and pushed inside the church,” he said.
He added that unless the huge number of weddings is stopped the “hooley” will continue every Christmas.
Councillors also complained that Christmas was ruined for local people by speeding cars, antisocial behaviour from gangs of children as young as eight, assaults, littering and the streets being used as a public toilet.
They have called for a meeting with all relevant parties, including local Church leaders, to draw up a plan for next Christmas.
by Alan Jacques
