Two members of the Travelling community have been jailed for taking part in a violent attack on gardai in a halting site.

Owen McDonagh Jnr (23) and Thomas McDonagh (22) were part of a group of men who threw missiles at gardai, including a small motor and a rock and who threatened to kill gardai.

The pair with an address at St Margarets Park, Ballymun, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder at St Margarets Park on May 12, 2013.

Judge Martin Nolan imposed two year sentences on both men but suspended one year of Owen McDonagh's sentence.

The judge suspended in full a two year prison term on a third man, John McDonagh (18) of Carton Road, Ballymun.

He was aged 16 at the time of his involvement.

Garda Ronan McMorrow told Fiona Murphy BL, prosecuting, that he and another garda followed Thomas McDonagh in car into his bay in the halting site and asked him to produce insurance documentation for the car.

Mark Lynam BL, defending, said Thomas McDonagh was taking his new born child out of the car at the time and thought there was a threat to the baby. He said his client lost control of himself.

He grabbed the garda’s official notebook as they tried to take details of the car down and told them or “fuck off or you’re dead”. He then grabbed a claw hammer and raised it over his head in a threatening manner, telling gardai: “If you don’t leave I will open your head”.

Around 20 to 30 Travellers had gathered around the gardai at this point and the two gardai decided to retreat for their safety. Thomas McDonagh threw a wheel brace after them and it hit the garda patrol car.

Owen McDonagh threw a small electric motor at the car, smashing the windscreen. When gardai went back to retrieve their notebook Thomas McDonagh swung a piece of wood at them and said he would kill them if they didn’t leave the bay.

The two others also took up a piece of wood and threatened gardai and the gardai retreated again. Thomas McDonagh threw a rock at them and narrowly missed hitting them.

The court heard Thomas McDonagh has 92 previous convictions including burglary and theft.

Last month (September 23 2014) he was disqualified from driving for 20 years for an offence of driving with no insurance.

Owen McDonagh has 27 previous convictions including burglary, theft and road traffic offences.

Online Editors