GARDAÍ were questioning a man in relation to a ramming incident and the assault of a man with a hurley in Rathkeale, County Limerick.
A video was shared on social media showing a man being attacked by two men, one armed with a hurley, at the scene of a two-car collision this past Sunday afternoon (December 1).
The footage shows one of the men beating the victim with a hurley while a second man rains down punches on the victim.
A voice on the video footage can be heard saying “the guards would want to be brought down now”.
Despite being punched and beaten several times with a hurley, the victim of the attack walked away and it is unclear if he sought medical treatment.
When asked for information, a Garda spokesman confirmed that Gardaí were “alerted to a public order incident in Rathkeale” on December 1.
“The incident in which a vehicle was rammed and a male assaulted occurred on Lower Main Street area at approximately 4.30pm,” said the Garda spokesman.
He added that a “man in his 20s has since been arrested” and was detained at a Garda station in County Limerick, adding that investigations are “ongoing”.
It is the latest wave of violence to hit the town which Gardaí suspect may be linked to an ongoing feud between rival groups.
Several more videos showing men fighting in a pub and on streets have been shared on social media.
Three weeks ago a car was rammed into a house in the town and set on fire causing substantial damage to the property. In another incident, a truck was driven into a property in the town on October 21 last. On October 8 last, a house was targeted in a petrol bombing.
Feuding groups rammed cars and produced weapons during feuding last Christmas, and armed Gardaí were deployed by Garda headquarters to patrol the town to get a hold on the violence.
Local Fine Gael councillor Adam Teskey said extra Garda resources were needed to calm tensions in the ongoing feud.
“It’s outrageous behaviour and it needs to be tackled head on, and the Gardaí need to be supported,” he said.
A source in the town said that “these people are off their heads, it is gone far rough in the town now, tensions are at an all time high.”
“Tensions have been building up for some time between the parties involved and someone could be killed here.
“It’s happening in broad daylight in the middle of a busy town where you have schools, shops, innocent people doing their day-to-day business trying to get on with their lives and this is happening.
“There is a lawlessness, what we need here is a water cannon to sort out the problem.”
