MEMBERS of a Dublin GAA club have been left shocked after a group of Travellers took over one of its car parks for a bare-knuckle fight.

Local sources believe a fight was going to be held in the grounds of the Thomas Davis club in Kiltipper Road, Tallaght, last Sunday.

They said a crowd gathered in the car park at around 5pm, and neighbours and passers-by were told to "move on" when they went to see what was happening.

It is the second bare-knuckle fight in Kiltipper Road in the past year - another was held in Marlfield Crescent last February.

A book of evidence against two Tallaght men is being prepared for the DPP after that incident.

Gardai went to the Thomas Davis club last Sunday after receiving calls from local people.

"They contacted us about a large crowd that had gathered at the all-weather pitch in the grounds, but when we arrived there was no fighting taking place and nobody made any complaint or claimed to be injured," said a garda source.

The use of the Thomas Davis grounds was blasted by club chairman Con Deasy.

"There is no way we can condone this behaviour," he told the Herald.

"We are flabbergasted and upset that such a gathering could occur. I think that anything that was planned didn't occur and the crowd dispersed when gardai arrived."

The GAA also said it was not aware that the grounds had been used to stage a bare-knuckle fight.

"GAA grounds are only ever used for games, activities and other events that are endorsed by the host unit, which in this case is Thomas Davis," said a spokesperson.

cfeehan@herald.ie

Herald