Club gates rammed to gain access to clothes
The gang used a van to ram the large entrance gates to St Vincent’s Hurling & Football Club.
A second gate, leading to the pitch area, was also rammed which enabled the raiders to drive into the rear of the industrial estate in Hollyhill where a clothes’ container had been left for collection.
The thieves broke open the container and started to remove the secondhand clothing from it.
Gardaí suspect a number of people formed a human chain to transfer the clothes from the container to waiting vans.
However, it seems likely they were disturbed and fled the scene, leaving clothes strewn on the GAA pitch and abandoning a white Ford Transit van which was being technically examined by garda forensic experts yesterday.
Gardaí suspect the gang broke into the GAA club between 9pm on Sunday and 1.30am yesterday.
Superintendent Con Cadogan, who is leading the Garda investigation, said it is understood the second-hand clothing trade is highly lucrative.
“Reputedly, these people can get 50 cent for every item they sell. We believe they are exporting them to eastern European markets,” Supt Cadogan said.
It is believed clothes also end up being sold onward to markets in Africa.
He said due to the current economic climate, fewer people are donating secondhand clothes which may be one of the reasons the gang targeted the container at the industrial estate.
St Vincent’s Hurling and Football Club spokesman Ashley O’Callaghan said it could cost up to €20,000 to repair the damage.
He said fences around the complex were pulled down last week, probably by ropes attached to a van.
Mr O’Callaghan said the previous act of vandalism could have been connected to yesterday’s incident.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw our CCTV. It shows a van ramming the gates. We were lucky they didn’t destroy the pitches as well.
“We will have to engage security on the entrance until the gates are fixed,” he said.
Cllr Thomas Gould, the club’s development officer, said urgent action was needed to be taken against the clothing gangs.
“Irish people are very charitable and these people are preying on that. The gangs are making substantial money from these clothes. It’s an ongoing issue and there will have to be a crackdown on this behaviour,” Mr Gould said.
Last October, a feud developed between rival gangs in Cork which resulted in a number of clothes collection vans being burnt out.
A battle between combatants armed with baseball bats and hurleys occurred on the South Ring Road.
Later that month, three vans belonging to one gang were torched by arsonists on the southside of the city and two were burned out in Waterford.
A few days later two more vehicles were fire-bombed on the southside of Cork city.
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