GARDAI shut down a potentially “lethal” sulky race meet that congregated on Friday morning in foggy, dark conditions, just off the N20 Limerick and Cork road.
Acting on local intelligence, a large force of gardai moved in on an area off the Croom bypass and prevented the scheduled event going ahead.
An informed source said: “There was a sulky race assembled on the Croom bypass this morning, a significant congregation of people and basically gardai busted it up and scattered them.”
“Gardai became aware a sulky race was planned for 7am and when they congregated outside Croom, just off the bypass, there was a large force of gardai assembled from Newcastle West district, and the Roads Policing Unit, and specialised units based in the city.”
“When they were confronted by that many patrol cars they just scattered to the four winds.”
The source said: “It was a crazy hour of the morning to do that; They normally do it of a Sunday when the roads are quieter, but to do one in the dark, with a bit of fog about, at 7am, and with the amount of traffic that flies in and out of the bypass, it could have been lethal.”
A Garda spokesman said: “Gardaí received information that a sulky race was to take place on the Croom bypass this morning at 7am. An operation was put in place by Croom Gardai, involving members of Newcastle West District and Roads Policing Unit Limerick.”
“Gardaí spoke to those present and a sulky cart was seized.”
Gardai said the investigation was “ongoing”.
