Elderly Corkman 'dreads' going back home after knifepoint robbery
Gerry O'Halloran (79) and his 83-year-old sister Mary who were threatened during an aggravated burglary at a house in Gurranabraher in Cork city. Picture: GoFundMe
A 79-year-old Corkman who was threatened at knifepoint during a robbery at his home "dreads" returning there, according to his 84-year-old sister, who was also caught up in the ordeal.
Mary O'Halloran says she and her brother Gerry are both still shaken up but are grateful for all the support they received since the incident early on Sunday morning.
Mary hopes to visit her brother in hospital for the first time on Wednesday since the traumatic ordeal, which happened at Gerry's Boyce's Street home around 7.30am on Sunday. He was taken to hospital by ambulance after the hour-long ordeal during which an intruder stole €1,800 from the siblings after threatening to stab them with a long-bladed knife.
The culprit remains at large, say gardaí. Mary told the that she was amazed by the support shown to a Gofundme campaign which raised more than €31,000 and was set up by two paramedics who attended the scene on Sunday morning.
To everyone who donated, she said: “Thanks to all – thanks very much.” She has spoken to Gerry a number of times since the incident on Sunday morning but has not yet been able to visit him.
“He is not too bad but he is still shook – same as myself,” she said. She has been speaking with him on the phone since he was hospitalised after the incident but she says she is hoping to be able to visit him in hospital on Wednesday.
Gerry is not looking forward to returning home to the house on Boyce’s Street though, she said. “He dreads it.”
As gardaí continue their investigations into the incident, as well as the aggravated burglary and assault of 73-year-old Tom Niland at his home in Skreen, Co. Sligo, on January 18, An Garda Siochana and Age Friendly Ireland are planning to roll out a community initiative aimed at making elderly and vulnerable people feel safer in their own homes.
Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern of the Cavan/Monaghan garda division said the initiative follows on from the relationship built up with older people during the pandemic.
Gardaí and Age Friendly Ireland in the Cavan/Monaghan division have come together to give crime prevention material and an LED candle to vulnerable and elderly people in the area.
The package includes a fridge magnet which has a person’s Eircode, their next of kin, and the name of their community gardaí and his or her mobile number on it.
He said: “We started out in the Cavan/Monaghan division and we went out to 200 homes, as a pilot project. It was very well received so we now have involved Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman from Community Engagement and we are going to roll this out nationally with all the community engagement officers and all of the crime prevention officers across the country over the next number of months.”
He said there is a need to reassure people following the recent incidents.
He said: “When something like these incidents happen, of course, people are going to be concerned but I would say this is where we need to come together as a community. If you look at the efforts Irish people made during the pandemic, it was heart-warming. We all pulled together.”
He added that one violent incident is one too many.
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