There were disturbing scenes in Galway when residents of Fursey Road in Shantalla gathered outside the local authority house awarded by Galway Corporation to Traveller woman Annie Furey.
Mrs Furey had to take refuge in the back of her house when stones were thrown by the jeering and shouting crowd assembled outside.
The crowd swelled at 9.45 pm when a van containing Mrs Furey’s furniture arrived at the house. The RTÉ News crew of Eddie Barrett, Gay O’Brien and Alan Severs had to be protected by the Gardaí when attempts were made to snatch or damage their equipment. The mob finally dispersed at 3 am and Fursey Road was quiet again.
The following day, Barrett spoke to locals about Mrs Furey moving into the house. A number of them are unwilling to comment on the situation, however one man remarked
It’s not fair to put her in with respectable people
Mrs Furey is going to stay in the house as she has nowhere else to go. She does not know why her home is being targeted with stone-throwing as she has not done anything to justify such a reaction.
An RTÉ News report by Eddie Barrett broadcast on 11 October 1970.
