‘Living in fear’ in Clarecastle

RESIDENTS in Clarecastle are “living in fear” as feuding factions continue to battle it out in the village.

 

On Tuesday night, at approximately 10pm, masked men attacked property in Clarecastle, armed with slash hooks and other weapons as terrified neighbours looked on in fear.

The incident lasted “minutes” and the house that was attacked was occupied at the time.

One resident was kept up most of the night with fear due to the feuding. The local said the incident frightened their children and has called for something to be done to remove those involved from the village.

“Residents are living in fear with all this feuding. They came down here last night wearing balaclavas and they smashed up a car and windows of the house with a slash hook. They had a slash hook; there is the imprint of the slash hook still on the door of the house. That door has been replaced four times at this stage.

“Residents down here have stopped paying rent to the council because of this. At this stage one of us is going to get killed down here. We are told that Ennis a safe town, I’d feel safer walking the streets of Limerick,” the resident claimed.

The Clarecastle resident added that the council needs to use its powers to move the people involved on.
Gardaí confirmed there was CCTV of the incident and they have been analysing it.

Superintendent Derek Smart, now stationed at Ennis Garda Station, said they are looking for people known to the gardaí in relation to the incident and they “have been actively looking for them since the incident happened on Tuesday night”.

“We are working on the assumption that there were two involved. There may have been a third person in a car. The car that was damaged has been taken away to be forensically examined. Members of the armed response unit from Limerick gave us assistance in patrolling the area. We are taking the matter very seriously. Every asset that I have will be used in regard to investigating this and bringing it to a successful conclusion,” Supt Smart said.

He has asked anyone who was in the vicinity at the time to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 6848100 and any information given will be treated in total confidence.