Streaker targets females walking in national park

GARDAÍ are warning female joggers, walkers and cyclists in Killarney National Park to be vigilant following complaints that a naked man is performing lewd acts in broad daylight.

There have been four separate complaints over the past 10 days, with most of the incidents occurring in the evening while it is still light, Sergeant Ray Walsh of Killarney garda station confirmed yesterday. Women wearing headphones are particularly vulnerable.

Extra garda patrols have been deployed and plain-clothes detectives are also combing the area concerned, he said.

The man, described as in his 50s and thin, appears to be concentrating on well-worn paths between Muckross Abbey, a ruined Franciscan church and graveyard, and the so-called New Entrance to the park, which is used by jarveys. The area is one of the most popular within the national park and is reserved for pedestrians, joggers, cyclists and jarveys.

Attached to the abbey is an historic graveyard and the area is well sheltered by trees but is criss-crossed by paths leading to the lake and Muckross House.

Local legends of ghosts surround the abbey, but the streaker appears to be very much of the modern era and seems to target females with headphones, which makes their surprise all the greater, according to gardaí.

Gardaí are therefore urging women to keep the volume on their headphone sets low so they can hear the man approach.

Sgt Walsh confirmed the gardaí were dealing with a streaker rather than a so-called ‘flasher’.

“He is completely naked. We are treating this very seriously and we would urge the public to contact us at Killarney gardaí — 064 6631222 or dial the emergency number 999,” Sgt Walsh said.

Jarveys have also been asked to keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

This isn’t the first such incident in Killarney National Park.

Two years ago gardaí investigated reports that a serial flasher was targeting the area.

That man, believed to be Irish and in his early 40s, jumped out of bushes and indecently exposed himself. It is understood he was completely naked on at least one occasion and was seen wearing women’s pink underwear around his ankles at other times.