A JUDGE HAS warned that lives will be lost over an ongoing feud between two rival groups in a small rural village as six men appeared in court in relation to a number of incidents in the Carbury area of Co Kildare in the past week.

A sitting of Naas District Court heard lives were saved and serious injuries were avoided after gardaí foiled an alleged arson attack on the home of one of the suspected leaders of the warring factions during which 19 petrol bombs were found in the boot of a car on Monday night.

Judge Desmond Zaidan said it was “a miracle” that nobody had died after hearing that a garda was forced to draw his handgun to stop the alleged victim of a “highly coordinated attack” coming at his would-be assailant with a meat cleaver.

“It is inevitable – unless brought to an end by the law, there will be fatalities,” the judge warned.

He claimed implements found in a car used by the alleged offenders including a hammer with screws welded into its head were “like weapons from the Stone Age.”

The court evidence that there was a long-running feud between two gangs in the Carbury area which had “come to boiling point” in the past two months.

Garda witnesses described how there had been up to 20 arson attacks on various properties in the area in the past three months as well as several incidents where firearms were discharged.

Tim Kennelly, a solicitor representing one of the accused, described the situation as “the Carbury version of the Montagues and Capulets” – a reference to the feuding families in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Kennelly said the recent escalation of the feud had arisen out of threats to kill and injure the daughter and grandchildren of his client, Trevor Craven and burn them out of their home by one of the leaders of the other side who had been in a relationship with the woman.

However, Judge Zaidan expressed puzzlement that nobody had been able to explain what the genesis of the original feud was.

Four men appeared in court over allegations that they were the occupants of one of four vehicles that had travelled in a high-speed convoy into a housing estate in the village of Derrinturn on Monday night.

Trevor Craven (48) of Trinity Crescent, Derrinturn, Carbury, Co Kildare is charged with having 19 petrol bombs under his control contrary to the Criminal Damage Act.

The offence relates to the intent to cause damage to the home of John Mooney at Ashgrove, Derrinturn on 2 September in a way in which he knew it was likely to endanger the victim’s life.

Craven was also accused of having a knife in his possession on the same occasion.

Garda Micheál Managan gave evidence of coming across the vehicles entering the estate while patrolling the area in an unmarked Garda car at around 11.30pm.

Garda Mangan said three vehicles fled the scene but gardaí managed to box in the fourth vehicle – a black Volkswagen Golf – and capture one of its four occupants who all tried to abscond from the scene.

A range of implements was found in the vehicle including the petrol bombs as well as a slash hook, balaclava, two pickaxe handles, a modified hammer and a golf club which Garda Mangan said were designed “to inflict maximum injury.”

The court heard that there may have been up to 20 individuals involved in the attempted attack.

Garda Mangan described how the defendant was wearing gloves, had his face covered when caught “red-handed” fleeing from the vehicle.

He claimed the accused admitted that he was going to give Mooney, who lived in the house with two of his children, “a good hiding.”

In evidence, Craven said he had only reacted to threats by Mooney and another individual against his daughter and her children.

He claimed his daughter had also been badly beaten by the other male.

Craven claimed he was unaware he had a knife on his clothing at the time of his arrest or there were implements in the vehicle.

He gave evidence that he had got a threatening phone call earlier that day and admitted he had “lost the head” in deciding to get in a car that was going to Mooney’s house.

“I wanted to give him a beating and box the head off him,” he added.

Cross-examined by Sergeant David Hanrahan, Craven said he was unaware who the other people in the vehicle were.

Asked if he was aware that a garda had probably saved his life on Monday night, Craven replied: “I was prepared to die.”

He added: “I would be prepared to die for my children. I’ve been living in hell for 30 years.”

Judge Zaidan observed that the evidence of the witness was “self-serving and economical with the truth.”

Three other young males suspected of fleeing from the scene, who were discovered in another house in the Ashgrove estate, also appeared in court.

They were Aaron McManus (20) of Killina, Carbury, Co Kildare; Eamonn Kelly (23) of Patrician Avenue, Naas, Co Kildare and Jack Kavanagh (20), The Willows, Sallins, Co Kildare.

All three accused were charged with the single offence of having 19 petrol bombs without lawful excuse on the same occasion and made no reply after caution.

The court heard the three friends claimed they had been drinking in the house which belonged to the grandmother of Kavanagh.

Kennelly said Kavanagh was “completely perplexed and surprised” to be arrested after coming out of the house to see what the commotion was about.

However, Garda Mangan claimed a distinctive balaclava that he had seen one of the occupants of the car wearing was discovered in a later search of the property, while all three had fresh mud on their shoes.

He told the court he believed the three had knocked on the back door of the house to be allowed inside.

Garda Mangan said he was approached by an individual a short time later who did not want them in the property

Detective Sergeant Ger Moore gave evidence that gardai discovered two petrol bombs in the yard of the mobile home where McManus lived in a follow-up search.

Det Sgt Moore said he believed they were an exact match or very similar to the ones found at the scene of the foiled arson attack.

McManus’ partner, Nadine Walsh, gave evidence that she believed that the petrol bombs had been left at their mobile home by an individual who had tried to attack them at 4am two days earlier.

Asked why she had not reported the incident to gardaí, Walsh said she was afraid and feared for her life.

The court heard McManus had become a father for the first time four weeks ago.

Two other males suspected of being on the opposite side of the feud also appeared in court.

Jamie Fennessy (21) of Trinity Drive, Derrinturn, Co Kildare faced three charges including one of possessing a pitchfork on Main Street, Derrinturn on 28 August 2024 with intent to cause injury or to intimidate.

He is also accused of two counts of causing criminal damage five minutes later to a house and car at Ashgrove, Derrinturn.

The court heard that Fennessy claims he had armed himself with the pitchfork after he and a relative had been chased in a car by a group of men wearing balaclavas.

The accused maintains that one individual got out of the vehicle with a baseball bat in an incident in which his relative was struck by the vehicle and needed to go to hospital.

Garda John Faherty said the accused had reacted by going to the home of one of the people whom he believed had attacked him.

He observed the feud had begun while Fennessy was still a child and he was uncertain if the accused even knew why it started.

Fennessy is also accused of using an iron bar to intimidate another individual on Main Street, Derrinturn on 3 September.

His father Leighton Mooney (43) of the same address, is charged with having a sledgehammer on Main Street, Derrinturn on 28 August.

The court heard the accused denied having a sledgehammer and was dragged into the feud because of his son.

Garda Heather Flynn said Mooney replied: “Not guilty. It is for my protection” in relation to a separate charge of having a knife in his possession on Main Street, Derrinturn on 3 September.

Garadí opposed bail in relation to all six accused males because of the seriousness of the charges and the potential for them to interfere with witnesses.

They also expressed concern that the defendants would also commit more offences if released on bail.

Garda witnesses said further charges were also likely in relation to the incidents under investigation.

Judge Zaidan denied bail in all six cases and remanded the accused in custody to appear before Naas District Court on 11 September via video link to await direction from the DPP.

He observed that it appeared that Craven had “unfinished business” and that if granted bail he would pursue it “for whatever warped reasons.”

John Mooney (49) of Ashgrove, Derrinturn appeared before the same court on Tuesday charged with possession of a meat cleaver in the incident outside his home on 2 September.