Billhooks and knives produced during 'mass brawl' in Midlands town

GARDAI in the Midlands responded to a ‘mass brawl’ involving billhooks and knives at the weekend, it has been confirmed. 

Laois Public Participation Network member on the Laois Joint Policing Committee,  Tom Jones, outlined details of the incident which occurred near a club on The Heath, Portlaoise on Saturday. 

“As the juvenile players were about to enter the ground there was a mass brawl on the road outside. Billhooks were produced and everything else and eventually the guards responded to it,” he said. 

“There is people living in fear out there,” he said 

Deputy Brian Stanley said he has taken calls from people in the area. 

“They said there was general mayhem over the last number of weeks and along with billhooks there was knives produced on Saturday. There was men, women and children going to those events and it is totally out of order that that can happen,” said Deputy Stanley. 

“People are terrified out there at the moment,” added Deputy Stanley. 

“We have to try and get on top of this. We can’t go through a full summer on The Heath with people being terrorised like this and events like last Saturday occurring,” he remarked. 

Mr Jones said there is an “unauthorised development” on The Heath and “there is ongoing problems since they arrived there”. 

He told members there had been issues in the past with lurcher dogs. He claimed the settlement is blocking a right of way and preventing farmers from accessing their land.

“It is an intolerable situation,” he said. 

He said while he wasn't making a connection, three or four weeks ago two elderly men in the area went to mass and returned to find their home ransacked. He said the men were aged in their 80s. 

Garda Superintendent Eamon Curley confirmed gardai had attended the brawl and were investigating both it and the earlier burglary. 

“I do need to reference an indication that a burglary nearby may be in some way connected, our enquiries into that would show the opposite at this time. I just want to remove any suspicion or indication that there may be a connection” said Supt Curley.

Dep Stanley said while he wasn't pointing the finger, there had been robberies in The Heath and people were “terrified” in the area. 

He said the right of way was located on OPW land with Gardai they should be able to get on top of the situation. 

Cllr Paschal McEvoy said the council was in the process of purchasing a house for those living on the right of way. He said there had been an issue with conveyance but he felt it was now close to being resolved.