Pavee Point, a group representing the Traveller and Roma communities, has labelled some of the remarks found in the condolence section on RIP.ie for Pádraig Nally as “disgraceful comments,” reports RTE.
The condolence section for Mr. Nally on the website was shut down after several messages were perceived as racist towards the Traveller community.
Mr. Nally gained notoriety 20 years ago when he shot an intruder on his farm in County Mayo.
The 81-year-old shot John ‘Frog’ Ward at his farm close to the village of Cross in October 2004, reports RTE.
Mr. Nally passed away on Friday after a prolonged period of poor health.
Martin Collins, co-director of Pavee Point, stated that the troubling posts were an effort to divide the Traveller community from the settled community and “plant the seeds of division and hatred.”
In an interview on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Martin Collins expressed, “We are quite concerned about the racist remarks and the abhorrent messages that have appeared on social media, which have elevated Pádraig Nally to a heroic status, while John Ward is being vilified and demonized,” reports RTE.
He pointed out that the murder of Mr. Ward two decades ago caused significant pain and trauma.
“I include Pádraig Nally in that as well; he experienced trauma and hurt too, but I believe it is time for us to move forward and find some resolution to this,” Mr. Collins continued.
He extended his sympathies and condolences to Mr. Nally’s family and community.
Mr. Collins also criticized online platforms for their failure to quickly oversee content moderation, reports RTE.
Vincent Cummins, of Cummins Funeral Directors in Ballinrobe, County Mayo, mentioned that the condolence book for Mr. Nally was open for 24 hours before he was informed of complaints.
“They [RIP.ie] contacted me to communicate that they had received several complaints from the public about inappropriate comments made in the condolence book.
“Consequently, they removed the link for condolences,” Mr. Cummins explained, reports RTE.
He noted that he had never encountered a request of this nature before.
Mr. Cummins said he would gain access to the messages that were made, which he could relay to the family.
“Most of the condolence messages posted were very positive and sympathetic regarding Pádraig’s passing,” Mr. Cummins added, reports RTE.
Initially, Mr. Nally was sentenced to six years in prison for the manslaughter of John ‘Frog’ Ward, and he consistently insisted that he shot Mr. Ward to safeguard his home.
During his trial, it was revealed that he had been living in fear, having been targeted by thieves several times before the shooting incident, reports RTE.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court acquitted him of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter after the trial in 2005.
That conviction was later overturned during a re-trial in 2006, leading to Mr. Nally’s release, reports RTE.
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