Friends and neighbours of Mayo farmer Pádraig Nally, who was jailed for six years for the manslaughter of Traveller John Ward, confirmed last night that they would be holding a national protest next Sunday over his sentencing.
The members of the Pádraig Nally Support Group, including Michael Biggins, chairman of the Mayo branch of the Irish Farmers' Association, met last night to review the plan in the light of some critical reaction yesterday.
However, the group said after the meeting that it would proceed with the protest in Athlone, Co Westmeath, and that they did not intend it to be "anti-Traveller".
Neither the IFA national headquarters nor GAA head office has endorsed the rally, with both organisations saying that a number of individuals affiliated to them locally were involved on a personal basis.
"Our sole aim is to give people the chance to voice their opposition to the sentence by assembling in Athlone and having a peaceful protest, Mr Biggins said. "We never meant it to be anti-Traveller, and we certainly don't want to inflame the situation."
Earlier yesterday the Mayo Travellers Support Group called on the organisers to call off the event. Bernard Sweeney, spokesman for the group in Castlebar, Co Mayo, feared that such a rally would further widen the divide between the settled and Traveller communities.
Mr Sweeney said this was a case of one human being taking the life of another, regardless of whether the victim was a member of the settled or Traveller communities.
The Pádraig Nally Support Group was formed in Castlebar last Sunday, after the farmer's sentencing on Friday.
"We have been getting huge numbers of calls from people all over Ireland saying they were unhappy with the severity of the sentence given to Pádraig Nally," said James Waldron, a neighbour and lifelong friend of his.
"It is not a Traveller-bashing exercise. We are calling for a review of the law regarding a person's entitlement to protect their property.
"Pádraig knew he was going to get a jail sentence, but we all believe six years is too much."
Nally anticipated that he would get a prison sentence of up to five to seven years, according to an interview which was broadcast on Galway Bay FM yesterday. Speaking before last week's sentencing Nally said that he was not worried about returning to prison, though it would be a difficult experience in the long term.
The farmer said he was worried about his farm and livestock while he served a sentence.
He expected his sister would have to sell off his livestock and there would be a question mark over his future in farming.
"To go back again in five years' time or seven years' time and buy back, it's going to be a different story, it's going to be a different climate. When all your money is gone, it's hard to buy back any stock, it's hard to make a restart when everything has faded away."
Nally said he was resigned to imprisonment, as he knew that what he had done was wrong, but, he said, he had acted out of fear.
