'Small proportion' involved in bare-knuckle fighting

An Athlone-based group which works with the Traveller community has said the "small proportion" of Travellers who still engage in bare-knuckle fighting must turn their back on the practice. John O'Leary, CEO of the Monksland-based Involve group (formerly the National Association of Travellers' Centres), said a minority of Travellers were involved in this kind of fighting and it was something the individuals concerned "need to move beyond." Meanwhile, Athlone's Garda Superintendent Aidan Glacken said Traveller feuds in the Midlands had been policed appropriately and any illegal activity would be dealt with before the courts. Both Mr O'Leary and Supt Glacken were contacted by the Westmeath Independent in the aftermath of last Sunday's screening on RTE One of 'Knuckle', a documentary about fist fighting among Travellers. One of the men who appeared in the film was Joe Joyce, from Moate, while a number of locations where the fights took place were in the Midlands. Mr O'Leary said he had not seen 'Knuckle' but its subject matter was not something that Involve would condone. "As a community development organisation working with the Traveller community we certainly wouldn't be saying it's part of the Traveller culture or identity, yet it does happen," he said. With videos of bare-knuckle fighting posted on websites such as Youtube, these contests have become more visible in recent times. However, Mr O'Leary said he believed they were occurring less often now than in the past. "I think it's something that a small proportion of the Traveller community needs to move beyond," he said. The chairman of Involve, former Tuam Mayor Martin Ward, said bare-knuckle fighting was dying out in some areas of the country but "it seems to be more prevalent in the Midlands and in Dublin". He said some families used these fights as a way to resolve feuds, but that was not something he agreed with personally. "In some cases it can lead to families feuding for generations and that is unacceptable," he said. "People make their own choices but I don't agree with fist fighting as a way to solve feuds because it lets down the whole Traveller community and leads people to believe that everyone is involved in this. "If families have a problem they should either sit down and talk or else just stay away from each other," he stated. Supt Glacken said he would not be making any comment on the 'Knuckle' documentary itself. "People can make up their own minds about what they saw," he said. He added: "There have been Traveller feuds in the Midlands. Those have been policed as appropriate, and there are a number of people before the courts at the moment in relation to feud-related activities. "If there are breaches of the law that is where they will be dealt with - before the courts." The documentary was screened on RTÉ One on Sunday and is avaialble to view on RTÉ's player service.