From The Archives: Man knocked out with belt of a frying pan in Kilkenny

A series of dramatic, high speed car chases, an early morning swoop by over 60 Gardaí and Customs men in search of smuggled goods and a back street adventure of hide and seek between the police and officials and dozens of roadside traders all took place in Kilkenny on Saturday.

On the previous Sunday a customs man from Dundalk was knocked unconscious with a belt of a frying pan on the back of the head from a trader’s burly wife.

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The flattened official had to spend several days under observation in St Luke’s Hospital, accompanied by another Customs colleague who also had been struck on the head by a missile which had been hurled from one of the trader’s caravans.

Saturday’s raid began at 8.30am when a party of 30 Customs officials swept into a traders’ encampment on the Waterford Road, supported by a force of 30 Gardaí.

A thorough search was made of 20 caravans and stalls. Cars were also searched for uncustomed goods, but only a small quantity of radios was confiscated.

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Asked by a Kilkenny People reporter if many items had been seized a Customs official replied ‘Not nearly as many as we should have got’.

How right he was, was revealed shortly afterwards when Customs officials returning to Waterford noticed two of the traders’ cars parked down a lonely byroad a short distance from the trading line.

They doubled back to Kilkenny via the Kells Road in order not to arouse suspicion.

A large party of Gardaí and officials dashed to the concealed cars where they found a vast quantity of radios, watches, umbrellas and some cutlery.

The goods, estimated to be worth between £4,000 and £5,000 were quickly loaded into Garda and Customs cars and were leaving for Kilkenny when they were seen by some of the traders.

The chase began immediately. As the cars sped in the Waterford Road car loads of traders roared in hot pursuit.

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At the Parade traffic lights the Gardaí lost their pursuers. The traders, probably assuming that the confiscated goods were being taken to Dublin immediately, sped down Rose Inn Street.

But the Gardaí had, in fact, gone down High Street and up Friary Street to the Garda barracks.