Tag Archives: crime

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 …

Drugs with an estimated street value of €250,000 have been detected and seized after Gardaí from the Clare Divisional Drug Unit stopped a car at Latoon South, Ennis on Friday evening, May 11. The detection was made as part of an ongoing intelligence led operation into drug trafficking in the Clare Division. During the course of the search of the car gardai discovered a quantity of cannabis herb (subject to analysis), the male driver a man in his 40’s was arrested and taken to Ennis Garda station where he is being detained under the provisions of section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 as amended. A follow up search was carried out at a house at Ballyclough Avenue, Ballinacurra,  Weston, Limerick by Gardaí a large quantity of cannabis herb was discovered. The approximate street value of the total amount of cannabis discovered was €250,000 (subject to analysis). Investigations are ongoing.

Gardaí investigating a single car crash which occurred in Ennis on Easter Sunday have confirmed that there has been a second fatality. Teenager Oisín Cahill was pronounced dead at approximately 4.20am when the car he was travelling in struck the wall of the Woodstock View housing estate on the outskirts of Ennis. Gardaí have confirmed today [Tuesday] that his cousin, Darragh Killeen lost his fight for life at University Hospital Limerick at approximately 3pm. Their friend Enda Hickey remains in hospital in critical condition. All three were from the Clonfeigh area in Inch. The parish of Kilmaley was left trying to come to terms with the tragic accident. On Tuesday morning a special mass was offered in a packed Connolly Church for Oisín. Fr Pat Larkin PP asked all present to support and pray for all the families involved. “I’m asking all in the parish and beyond to stand shoulder to shoulder over the coming days and weeks,” he said. …

A man “of some standing” in his community who repeatedly raped his friend’s daughter when she was a child has been jailed for eight years. Noel Kelleher (64) was found guilty by a jury of six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of oral rape and one count of attempted oral rape of his victim at various locations in County Clare between June 1991 and August 1992. Kelleher, of Gort na hAbhna, Roslevan, Ennis, was found not guilty of a further 16 counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault by the jury following a Central Criminal Court trial last November. His victim, who was aged between 12 and 14 at the time of the attacks, wished to waive her right to anonymity, the court heard. Sentencing Kelleher on Monday, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said his abuse had a “deep and long-lasting impact” on his victim, which continues to this day. “These are very serious offences perpetrated …

GARDAI swooped in on drug dealers who were using a wooded area in Broadford, County Clare to stash cocaine after eagle-eyed birdwatchers called in suspicious activity in the area. The game was up when birdwatchers spotted more than avian activity while in a forested area in the townland of Fermoyle and this prompted them to alert the gardaí that someone was falling fowl of the law. On foot of the information an intelligence led operation was put into place with gardaí in Killaloe and Limerick flocking to stake out the area. Drugs, which are suspected to be cocaine and valued in the region of €40,000 were uncovered on foot of the operation at Fermoyle in Broadford on Wednesday night last [January 25]. Inspector David Finnerty of Killaloe Garda Station confirmed that an “intelligence-led operation” was launched focusing on the wooded area in Broadford last week. He said with the assistance of the Clare Divisional Drugs Unit and Limerick gardaí an …