Jimmy Ward on Prime Time tonight
THE Ballyshannon traveller family prevented from moving to a new home after it was firebombed by arsonists have spoken for the first time about the storm which surrounded the issue.
Jimmy Ward claimed the fact he is the brother of John ‘Frog’ Ward – a notorious criminal shot dead by Mayo farmer Padraig Nally – was being used against him.
Mr Ward and his ten children were due to move into a house in Parkhill last month but the €230k property was burned down just hours before its sale to Donegal County Council was due to go through.
Speaking for the first time – on RTE’s Prime Time – Mr Ward and his wife showed how their family was crammed into a small three-bedroomed home in Ballyshannon.
And he criticised Cllr Sean McEniff for comments he made when the council bought the house for the Ward family.
“I’m a Ballyshannon man,” said Mr Ward, “he’s from the neighbouring town of Bundoran.”
He said he was shocked that his young children – some of them featured on the TV programme – had been described by Cllr McEniff as ‘bad eggs.’
“What sort of compliment is that from a man of his experience?” asked Mr Ward, holding a year-old son.
Mr Ward said “like everyone else I’ve a few minor convictions but in the last number of years I’ve had no problems with the law.”
He said references to his brother and his death had nothing to do with the issue.
“He’s dead and buried. I’m living in Ballyshannon. They brought this (the death) into it to cover up,” said Mr Ward.
On Cllr McEniff, Mr Ward said: “He has me and my family torn apart about it; he wants us isolated well he has us isolated. We don’t even want to go into the town.”
“We were devastated,” said Geraldine Ward, talking about hearing the news of the arson attack.
“It’s a big loss what they did to us.”
Sinn Fein TD Padraig MacLochlainn also appeared on the RTE programme during a studio discussion after the Ward family interview.
Deputy MacLochlainn, who is from a Traveller background, said a ‘wall of mistrust’ had developed between the settled and traveller communities.
“This is not going to win me any votes,” said the TD, “Sean McEniff said what he said and he is going to get all the pats on the back and the votes because there is no leadership there.
“We need to step in and deal with the issues and provide leadership,” he said.