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RESIDENTS in the Caherslee area have expressed safety concerns for next weekend, after huge groups of teenagers congregated in the area last Halloween drinking alcohol and throwing firecrackers at each other.
Speaking on Radio Kerry’s Talkabout programme this afternoon, resident Padraig Foley, told host Deirdre Walsh about what happened last year and how parents of teenagers from all over town and beyond were dropping their children in the area.
“There is nothing in particular organised [in the area], I suppose a lot of this is organised on social media where they are contacting each other telling each other where to meet. Unfortunately they are able to source fireworks and firecrackers. Apart from wearing masks, some of them would be wearing balaclavas. We had the guards called quite a few times last year.”
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Mr Foley said they have met with the gardaí recently and they will offer additional resources this year in terms of uniformed and plain clothes gardaí.
Cllr Norma Foley has attended residents meetings about the issue and heard their concerns .
“The residents have had a horrendous time,” said Cllr Foley on the radio show. “It’s a very mixed area where you have older people and young families and many people spoke about being confined to their houses in fear. They feel under threat and it’s not safe for them,” she said.
Cllr Foley said that while Halloween is normally a very happy weekend for families – especially for younger children trick or treating – when large groups congregate it becomes intimidating. She asked that parents to be more aware of where their children are at a given time.
Cllr Foley said the vast majority of young people in her experience are terrific and do great work in a voluntary capacity in the community, but this particular weekend causes difficulty for residents in estates.
