The attackers – some armed with weapons, with an axe produced at the scene – are members of the Traveller community, as is the victim Faulkner. He encouraged people in the Traveller community to desist from becoming embroiled in feuds, which he said were “getting out of hand”. Mediators and “violence interrupters” within the Traveller community were in contact with him and were working in a “relentless” manner. Garda sources agreed social media had been embraced by some in the Traveller community to drive violence. Other social-media accounts had been created to harvest Traveller violence content and publish it online, with clips being re-shared, often for years.

Source: The Irish Times March 28, 2026 17:00 UTC