*Photograph: Arthur Ellis
WILLIE CLANCY’s grand-nephew says the streets of Miltown Malbay should be filled with music and not the screams of violence.
Four men were left with non-life-threatening injuries following a stabbing in Miltown Malbay which required the presence of three ambulances and three Garda squad cars with The Square cordoned off on Sunday evening to preserve the scene for a technical examination.
Garda investigations continue with no arrests made at this stage. “Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to this incident to come forward. Anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident, including road users with video / dashcam footage from the area at this time, is asked to make contact with investigating Gardaí. Gardaí can be contacted at Ennis Garda Station on (065) 684 8100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Joseph Woulfe, a grand-nephew of Miltown Malbay’s famous uileann piper Willie Clancy, stated, “That issue has been brewing for some time, the streets of Miltown Malbay should be filled with music not screams and knives rubbing off each other, that is not what Miltown Malbay is about”.
Joseph’s grand-father Joey Woulfe was married to Elizabeth Mary Clancy who was the eldest sister of Willie.
A General Election candidate in 2020, Joseph noted that tensions have been evident among the persons responsible for Sunday’s stabbing. “Around Christmas time there was an incident where one guy’s ear was cut, it happened on Christmas Day so it never made the media so whatever fracas has been going on there is still in the atmosphere”.
He claimed another unsavoury incident took place in a local pub involving one of the men. “Now we’re escalating to on the street middle of the day cutting up people, where is the next stage because I can’t see it being very good”.