Tag Archives: gardai

REPORTS of jet skis doing ‘doughnuts’ on Lough Derg and speeding near Killaloe Bridge has prompted gardaí to warn operators that they have the power to seize a vessel. Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks outlines, “There have been a number of incidents in Killaloe of jet skis being operated at excessive speeds – up to 60kph near Killaloe Bridge where the speed limit is about 5kph, and also reports of jet ski operators doing ‘doughnuts’. “Under the Maritime Safety Act Gardaí have the power to seize a vessel if it is deemed appropriate action. “Gardaí can require a person operating a craft or remove it from waters in certain circumstances, to stop, board and inspect craft and also have powers of arrest and forfeiture. We would ask people using the lake to be respectful of others and obey the relevant speed limits, be safe and never take risks on the water.”

A “very upsetting” incident in which a man burgled the home of an elderly lady in Ennis is being investigated by gardaí. At 9pm on Thursday, June 30 a male entered the home of the lady on Lifford Road and stole her purse containing cash from her handbag which was in the front room. The culprit left the scene on foot. Fortunately the woman was unharmed during the burglary and gardaí are appealing for anybody who may have seen anything suspicious in the area around the time to contact them. According to Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks, “No harm was caused to the lady but an incident like this is very upsetting.” She is asking anybody with information to contact the local Garda Station or any Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

WITH schools now on summer holidays the dangers that farms can pose to children have been highlighted by gardaí in Clare. “Now that schools are over and the weather is hopefully starting to get good, kids are out and about on farms, but farms are a workplace and unfortunately children are killed every year on farms,” warns Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. “Never allow a child onto a farmyard unless they are closely supervised by an adult. It’s not possible to safely look after your child and work on the farm at the same time.” She has issued advice to those who live on a farm saying, “Keep children out of work areas. Have a fenced off safe play area in view of your home. Have easy to read danger signs and tell children what they mean.” All unattended vehicles should be locked and the keys removed and kept away from children. Safety measures should be put in …

GARDAÍ in Ennis are to be asked to examine the feasibility of rolling out a system which would allow people to text in reports of suspicious activity. The ‘See Something, Say Something’ system has already been a success in Tralee with a reported drop in reported public order offences a meeting of the Ennis Municipal District heard this week. The council agreed to request local gardaí “in the interest of public safety” to look at the possibility of introducing the system to the county capital. Proposing the idea, Councillor Johnny Flynn outlined that the text based system, developed by Tralee-based company ZinMobi, allows members to report suspicious activity anonymously to gardaí. The councillor stated, “We all love and are proud of Ennis, our county capital town centre which over the last few years and for the next five years will see  well over €15 million invested in its public spaces, main square, streets, lanes and bowways and other public spaces. …

“SYSTEMATIC and organised” beggars on the streets of Ennis are taking advantage of the generosity of well-meaning local people, with some collecting up to €200 a day, it has been claimed. A meeting of the Ennis Municipal District this week heard calls for an investigation to be carried out by An Garda, Revenue and other State Agencies, with councillors saying organised begging is taking much needed funds away from local charities. The issue was highlighted by Councillor Johnny Flynn who said that people are being dropped off in the town centre to beg before being collected later. He said these are not local homeless people, but instead are “people plying their trade, it’s a business”. He insisted that Ennis is “one of the safest and friendliest towns in the country” adding he is proud of the actions of gardaí when dealing with criminal behaviour. He said that the actions of organised beggars “has to be called out” and an investigation …

SHOCKING video footage of attacks on homes and cars in Ennis, understood to be linked to an ongoing feud, circulating on social media in recent days, have been condemned as an “absolute disgrace”. Calls are now being made for more resources to be made available to gardaí in Clare, as well as for the re-establishment of an Ennis specific Joint Policing Committee (JPC). Videos of car windows being smashed and a home being targeted in the county capital were shared across social media. Other footage shows a high-speed car chase with a vehicle on the wrong side of the road. Chair of the Clare Joint Policing Committee Councillor John Crowe commented, “It’s an absolute disgrace and as a community and as a county we can’t stand for the likes of this carry on.” He continued, “It’s getting out of control, not alone in Ennis but all over the county. I know the powers that be are doing the best they …

A man has died after he was swept out to sea while walking along the shoreline in West Clare this afternoon, reports Pat Flynn. A major search and rescue operation was mounted after the alarm was raised at around 2.15pm. Watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry launched and coordinated a multi-agency search and rescue operation in an area north of Kilkee. The Kilkee unit of the Irish Coast Guard; the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter – Rescue 115 – the Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat; National Ambulance Service and Gardaí were requested to respond. The exact details of the circumstances surrounding the tragedy are not yet known however, it’s understood that the man in his 30s had been out walking on the shoreline near Farrihy Bay north of Kilkee when he lost his footing and and fell into the sea. Emergency services responded to the area by land, air and sea and …

GARDAÍ have renewed their appeal for information after a road traffic collision claimed the life of a young man in Clare last week. Declan Ward, who was in his late twenties, died in the two-vehicle incident that happened at around 5.45am last Wednesday morning on the main R352, around halfway between Bodyke and Tulla, in the townland of Ballinahinch. Gardaí, National Ambulance Service paramedics and units of Clare County Fire and Rescue Service from Scariff station responded to the incident. On arrival they found that the driver and sole occupant of one car had been fatally injured. The driver of the second vehicle was also injured and taken by to hospital by ambulance for treatment. He was also travelling alone and his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks has urged anybody who may have been travelling in the area at the time to contact gardaí. “Just before 5.45am on Wednesday morning last January …