Residents of Slieverue, Ferrybank, Newrath and surrounding areas expressed anger and frustration this week at what several described as ‘unacceptable behaviour’ by a group of Travellers.
Illegal camping by members of the Travelling Community, who parked a fleet of caravans on the roadway outside Kilkenny County Council’s Area Offices in Newrath, has forced the local authority to cancel its weekly ‘Bring Centre’ collection service for the past three weeks.
Ferrybank Gardai were called in by the Council to remove the caravans after the Travellers ‘compromised the safety of the area’. Callers to the depot on Saturday last were informed on arrival that the service had been cancelled indefinitely.
A spokesman for Kilkenny County Council said they had no option but to cancel the service for safety reasons. The situation was being kept under review and the service would be resumed when the illegal camping ceased.
A member of the outdoor Council staff was on duty at the Newrath Area Office on Saturday last to meet disappointed callers who arrived with consignments of paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and cartons to inform them that, unfortunately, they had to take their recyclable material away with them.
The Council’s weekly service at Newrath between 10am and 3pm has been in operation for several years and has proved very popular with residents of South Kilkenny.
Three caravans were still camped illegally on the road outside the Council Offices this week. It is understood the caravans came from the Bellview Port Road where a group had been camped for several months.
