BAILIFFS from Northern Ireland are being linked to a dramatic eviction, that resulted in up to 70 people storming a rural property in Co Roscommon, setting fire to vehicles and driving off the security team guarding it.
Videos, showing the forced eviction of two elderly brothers and a sister from their home near Strokestown last Tuesday, had been posted online sparking an angry response from people in the county.
A team of security guards, dressed all in black and with Northern Irish accents, are seen removing the family, with one man resisting the eviction pictured injured and bleeding from his mouth.
One of the security staff is told on the video that he "should be ashamed as an Irish man" and can be heard replying that he is not Irish but "British".
An investigation has been launched into an attack at a house in Co Roscommon which left three people in hospital pic.twitter.com/uXQO00G1AR
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 16, 2018
The private firm, thought to have been hired by a bank, had been occupying the house since the eviction.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, it was reported by that dozens of men arrived at the farmhouse.
The 5am 'raid' resulted in three of security men needing hospital treatment and four vehicles being set alight.
It was reported locally that the front and back doors of the property were removed with a chainsaw
Three of the security men were hospitalised and a guard dog helping to patrol the farm also injured, a vet was later called to the scene to put down the dog.
Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy, who knows the family at the centre of the eviction, has appealed for calm and said that he would be contacting the bank involved in this case to see if anything could be done to ease tensions.
Burnt out vehicles remain at the site. pic.twitter.com/jOTV1X7FOV
— Shane Beatty (@ShaneBeattyNews) December 17, 2018
"Whatever the circumstances of this case may be, it appears to me that it (the eviction) was handled in a cold manner," he said.
"I will talk to the bank to see if anything can be done to ease tensions".
A local newspaper The Democrat reported, that one of the security men was told to leave and "never touch an elderly person in the 26-counties again"and that the raiders would be back if the occupation of the property wasn’t ended.
Several of his colleagues had fled and were hiding in fields nearby when gardaí arrived at the scene, fire services were also called to stop fires spreading to the property.
A garda spokesperson said: "Gardaí are investigating an incident of criminal damage and assault at a house at Falsk, Roscommon on Sunday 16th December at 5.30am.
"A number of people were injured during the incident and three required hospital treatment.
"A number of vehicles were set on fire and a dog was also seriously injured and had to be put down as a result."
"The area has now been sealed off and gardai are carrying out an investigation".
