Councillor hits out at Travellers over stranded horses
A county councillor has accused members of the Traveller community of abandoning their horses to flood waters along the Headford Road – which led to a rescue operation being staged over the weekend.
It was proposed that the N84 become a ‘horse exclusion zone’ in the interest of safety and animal welfare and that there are strict land ownership requirements before horses are allowed graze there.
According to Cllr James Charity, a major voluntary effort was put in place to rescue animals that were stranded in flood waters along the main Headford Road.
“It is sickening to see the number of horses that have been abandoned and the fault lies with the Traveller community who do not want to take responsibility for this awful situation."
The Independent councillor, along with Galway Fire and Rescue Service, Council wardens and local volunteers were involved in a major rescue operation last weekend on the Curraghline when the River Clare burst its banks in several locations.
He told fellow councillors that a meeting was organised to discuss animal welfare along the Headford Road and while the Galway Traveller Movement were invited, they failed to attend. This is a preview only. To read the rest of this article and extensive coverage of flooding (including photos) around the county, see this week's Connacht Tribune. Buy a digital edition of the paper here.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.