Friday, October 12, 2012

Teenager hurt in churchyard brawl

A teenage boy is recovering in hospital after he was injured during a churchyard brawl while a wedding was taking place nearby.

The incident, in the carpark of the cathedral in Ennis, Co Clare, occurred at about 3pm while members of the Travelling community were attending a wedding yesterday.

During the ceremony, one of the wedding guests stepped out into the yard between the church and parochial house. 

He was set upon by three men brandishing a slash-hook, Stanley knife and a pick-axe handle.

The man (41) sustained a head injury but refused to travel to hospital. 

A 16-year-old boy, who is also understood to have been attending the wedding, sustained facial injuries during the row and was recovering in hospital last night. 

A number of other wedding guests got involved in the violent fracas, which followed a previous altercation several weeks ago. 

Gardaí were called to the scene but no arrests were made. 

It is believed the row concerns two families and a dispute over land used for grazing horses.