Tag Archives: crime

In his first local media interview, Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran, detailed his aspirations for policing in County Clare, how he will be keeping up the fight for resources and he will be taking a hard line on economic fraud. By Carol Byrne CLARE’S Chief Superintendent Seán Colleran has said while he would like to see the Clare Garda Division keep its individual division status, he said the public shouldn’t fear changes proposed under the Future of Policing Plan. Amid local concerns that the Clare Garda Division may be amalgamated with either Tipperary or Galway, the new Clare garda chief says any changes that are made are “designed to improve the service”. Unfortunately if that does happen it may mean that Clare could lose its chief superintendent. The Ballinasloe native says whatever happens there will “certainly be no reduction in services” for Clare. The Future of Policing Plan has made recommendations and Chief Superintendent Colleran acknowledged that these seek to restructure …

BELLHARBOUR’S John Kerin, Clare’s Chief Superintendent, is calling time on a 41-year career with the gardaí. It has been a distinguished one, which has seen him to the forefront of some of Ireland’s most high profile investigations. In his earlier days on the force, Chief Supt Kerin was one of the first garda responders to one of the country’s worst rail disasters, the Buttevant train crash of August 1, 1980, which saw 19 people lose their lives and up to 80 seriously injured. June 7, 1996 was a day that will be forever remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the force, as it was the day Detective Garda Jerry McCabe died and his partner, Detective Garda Ben O’Sullivan, was shot in Adare. For Chief Superintendent Kerin, it is a day he will never forget, as it was the day he first took up duty as detective inspector and it was to be his first call …

GARDAÍ in Clare and Limerick have seized cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of €97,000 following a joint operation on Wednesday evening and two arrests have been made. Gardaí stopped a vehicle at Junction 11 (Dromoland) on the M18 motorway shortly after 7pm on Wednesday and a subsequent search resulted in the seizure of cocaine with a value of €56,000 (subject to analysis). A 41 year old man was arrested and is currently being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 at Ennis Garda Station. He was detained for an initial six hour period, which has now been extended to 18 hours. Under this legislation and with approval from the Chief Superintendent and the courts he can be detained for up to seven days. Superintendent Brendan McDonagh, of Ennis Garda Station described this seizure as “significant” as it has taken these drugs which were destined for the Clare market off the streets for …

THE Ennis home of Clare County Dog Warden Frankie Coote came under attack on Wednesday night. Windows of his house were smashed by men wielding hatchets, while his van and his wife’s car were also attacked. Speaking on Thursday Mr Coote said, “It was exactly nine o’clock, I was just going watching the news, and the window of the house came in. I thought it was shotguns, I heard bang, bang, bang, but it was two people attacking the van and the wife’s car with hatchets. There was awful damage done.” He said that confrontation has been a frequent reality of his job, but it is very upsetting having it come to his home. “It was worse for my wife than myself. I’ve been assaulted, different things have happened me to do with my job, but nothing at the house.” Mr Coote said that thousands of euros worth of damage had been done. He said he spoke to one of …

Gardaí have seized drugs with an estimated street value of €125,000 and a sub machine gun as part of an on-going operation targeting the sale of illegal drugs in County Clare. The seizure was made following a search of a house and lands at Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge on Friday, August 24. During the course of the search Gardaí discovered a sub-machine gun and ammunition, 1.5kgs of cocaine with a street value of €105,000 and 1kg of Cannabis Herb with a street value of €20,000. Also as part of this operation a car was stopped and searched on the Tulla Road, Ennis and 1/2kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of €35,000. The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, was arrested and taken to Ennis Garda Station. He has since been released and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The operation is on-going and further searches are being carried out today.

UNBEARABLE pressure is being inflicted on young people once they fall into the debt of Ennis drug dealers, a local mother has warned. She once worked in two jobs to clear her own son’s debt and was subjected to numerous threats, with warnings that her young daughter could be a target. “They threatened me, they threatened my son, they threatened my [other, younger] child. They told me that if I had sexual relations with them they would take money off the debt. I’d say I have been threatened at least 40 times. At least. It’s been on my doorstep, up the town, if your son doesn’t pay up, this is what’s going to happen.” At its worst stage her son’s debts reached €2,000, with cannabis very much his drug of choice. “It’s awful stress, oh my God, it’s awful. Even talking about it now, I’m not living through it now, but Jesus it was so hard, working two jobs paying …

Gardaí in Killaloe have arrested a person in connection with the arson attack on the Holy Island Tours trailer which occurred at Mountshannon Harbour in the early hours of Tuesday morning [June 26] and are currently investigating a second arson in the same location. Inspector David Finnerty of Killaloe Garda Station said they have arrested a “person of interest” in relation to the arson attack at the harbour on Tuesday and are detaining this individual under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. Under this provision the suspect can be detained for up to a maximum period of 24 hours. The arrest has come as a result of enquiries carried out by garda on Tuesday and due to the cooperation of members of the public. Gardaí received a report this morning, Thursday, of a fire on a boat in the vicinity of Holy Island Tours, however they confirmed that the boat was unconnected to this business. Although it is …