Dissident Republicans target Cavan chav gang

An organisation with links to dissident republicanism has said it will intervene to put a stop to the unprovoked violent attacks in Cavan town by individuals purporting to be part of a gang call the TCRG (believed to stand for The Cavan Rebellion Group).
A statement issued by the Cavan/Fermanagh 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32csm) has said that the movement will "not stand idly by" and will be "making our presence known" in the town in the coming weeks. This has led to calls from senior gardaí against any type of vigilante interference into the problem that exists and warned that anyone taking the law into their own hands could also face charges.
Last week, the Anglo-Celt revealed the upsurge in stabbings, attacks with iron bars and the smashing of cars in Cavan town as anti-social behaviour and violent attacks in the town are on the rise. The story went on to make national headlines on both radio and in newspapers.
Slogans about TCRG activities and names of people alleged to belong to the self-styled group have since appeared on a freshly painted wall in Belturbet.
There have been some copycat activities by young individuals whom senior garda sources say have been checking out the group's Bebo page. A number of anonymous comments have also been posted on the TCRG Bebo sitein the past week including threats to blow "off f..kin nee caps".
The Anglo-Celt has also learned from sources in the community that dozens of young people involved in the attacks are frequently high on cocktails of drink and drugs. One individual who has moved to the area recently is alleged to be purchasing tranquilisers and dispensing them out to young people in Cavan town.
Sources also say that a confrontation between two groups of young people recently ended when one gang with iron bars had to flee after knives were pulled by the other gang.
In the interim, the chairman of Cavan Town Council Andrew Boylan, together with his Fine Gael party colleagues had a meeting with Garda Superintendent John O'Driscoll last Friday to discuss the fallout from the recent violence and ascertain what action the gardaí are taking to put an immediate halt to this behaviour, which was instilling fear in the community.
Cllr. Boylan this week told The Anglo-Celt that the gardaí had broken up the TCRG gang and they are confident that an end to the spate of violence is in sight.
Since last week the Fermanagh/Cavan 32 County Sovereignty Movement have made contact with The Anglo-Celt newsroom and issued a statement in relation to the violent, random attacks o n the streets (full statement, see page 2). The organisation claims to have been contacted by a number of concerned residents in the Cavan town area who, they claim, are too afraid to talk to the gardaí.
Commenting on the 32csm statement, Superintendent John O'Driscoll said: "The laws are there for everybody - there is nobody above the law, regardless of what group they are - people just can't take the law into their own hands - if that happens you become a mirror image of what you are trying to stop."
The Superintendant added that the town council had applied for a scheme to install more CCTV cameras in the town and he understood that initiative will be coming on stream shortly. "Cameras certainly help in curtailing crime but ultimately there is no substitute for garda patrolling and assistance from the public. I would call on the public to notify the gardaí about such activity, so that the gardaí can nip these matters in the bud before they have time to develop," he said.
At their meeting with Superintendent O'Driscoll, Cllrs. Andrew Boylan and Paddy O'Reilly expressed their concerns about the recent spate of attacks and sought assurances that action was being taken against those responsible.
"We are quite happy that the matters are in hand and that a number of the culprits are presently remanded in custody and another number are remanded on bail..."
Fine Gael Cllr. Andrew Boylan has said that cases linked to recent violent attacks in Cavan town are before the courts. "The superintendent would hope that they will be dealt with effectively," he said following a special meeting of Cavan Town Council members with Superintendant John O'Driscoll.
In relation to the gang members, Cllr. Boylan said there was a hard core of about five or six and a fringe group of not more than 20 other people. "The gardaí have all their names and they will be dealt with in a combination of ways; their parents will be called in where the young people involved are underage. The parents will be asked to take responsibility for their sons' actions," he explained.
Cllr. Boylan said the message he received from the superintendent was that the gardai are on top of the incidents and people could again feel safe to come into Cavan town to socialise and do business.
• This is the full text of the statement issued by the Cavan/Fermanagh branch of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement in relation to the violent attacks in Cavan town by individuals claiming to be part of a gang called TCRG:
"It has been brought to the attention of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement of the serious rise in anti-social activity in the Cavan town region. Over the last number of weeks our organisation have been contacted by concerned members of the Cavan public and residents who live in Cavan town too frightened to go to the Gardaí about the criminal and anti-social activity of a group of young people that calls themselves the TCRG.
"Recently a number of worried and comcerned residents contacted our organisation to see if we could help stop the activities of this criminal gang, who have brought fear and terror to the streets of Cavan town. People are fearful of travelling out after dark in fear of being attacked by these thugs and social misfits of society.
"The 32 County Sovereignty Movement have in our possesion information on all of those who are involved with this criminal gang who call themselves the TCRG. We will not stand idly by while there is unprovoked and violent attacks on innocent members of the Cavan public by a drugged up drunken hooligan anti-social element.
"Over the next few weeks members of the Cavan public will see the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32csm) as we will be making our presence known in the Cavan town area in support of the Cavan public that contacted us. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement will be monitoring and engaging with members of the public in Cavan town. We call on all young people involved with this TCRG gang to disband and desist from further attacks on the innocent people of Cavan before you kill someone, and let the innocent people of Cavan live in peace!"