Plans to rebuild gutted Garda station
The Garda station in Blarney was fire-bombed in October 2008 and the rented building was so badly gutted that gardaí were forced to move into temporary mobile offices.
An attempt was also made to petrol-bomb the prefab building a few months later but the bomb burnt out quickly, although it did cause some damage which necessitated repairs.
In a third incident in the Blarney area, a garda operating a speed check from a covert vehicle was lucky to escape with his life when a man lobbed a petrol bomb into the vehicle. It is believe all three incidents were related.
Garda Representative Association (GRA) central executive committee member Mick Corcoran said the prefab gardaí were now working from was not ideal.
“It doesn’t have any lockers or showers so gardaí have to use facilities in Gurranabraher,” Garda Corcoran said.
Garda management from Dublin and OPW officials are to survey the Blarney area. They will look at possible alternative buildings but it’s believed reconstructing the gutted station is the most likely option.
Meanwhile, it is hoped there may be a resolution to a dispute in Macroom that could lead to a garda walkout. More than 50 gardaí are working in cramped conditions in a station described by the GRA as the worst district headquarters in the country.
Gardaí postponed a walkout earlier this month but have signalled that if alternative accommodation is not found they will go ahead with the protest in June.
