Residents slam 'monstrosity' security fence around Cork Prison 

Locals say new fence will not deter people from throwing drugs into the prison

Since the new prison opened on Rathmore Road in early 2016, people have been coming into a housing estate in The Glen and accessing residential gardens to either throw, or catapult drugs over the prison wall. Picture: Dan Linehan

Residents living in the shadow of Cork Prison have branded a huge new security fence designed to prevent drug throw-overs a "monstrosity". 

While they say life has become “hell” as they face repeated threats and intimidation from people using their garden walls to launch drugs over the prison walls, they say the new fence, being installed by the Irish Prison Service, will not work, and could make the problem worse.

Loretta Crowley, who lives in a housing estate in The Glen right next to the prison, said: “Instead of these guys standing on my garden wall to fire drugs over the prison wall, they’re now going to be standing in my garden to do it.

“It’s not going to deter them at all. If you have a decent throw, you will clear the fence and the prison wall, and maybe even the prison roof.

The prison service didn’t have the decency to tell us they were doing it. If they had consulted with us, we’d have told them this wasn’t going to work at all.” 

The fence is being installed to the rear of homes along Brandon Crescent and adjoining Brandon Court, which are separated from the prison wall by a corridor of land known locally as ‘no man’s land’.

However, since the new prison opened on Rathmore Road in early 2016, people have been coming into the estate and accessing residential gardens to either throw, or catapult drugs over the prison wall. Some involved have worn masks or balaclavas.

Verbal threats

Residents have challenged them but have been subjected to horrendous abuse and verbal threats, including one culprit who ordered a resident back inside their home, before threatening to burn it down.

Another culprit with a catapult said he would be killed if he didn’t fire drugs over the walls.

Gardaí respond quickly to calls from residents but those involved have several exits from the estate and have normally fled before gardaí arrive.

Ms Crowley said: “Residents felt at the time that the prison wall looked like an apartment block but with the new fence, it’s a monstrosity now. We’ve had enough of this."

Labour councillor John Maher raised the issue at Monday’s meeting of Cork City Council and said councillors who raised concerns about the plans for the new fence were ignored.

“Some residents were told this was being erected to stop anti-social behaviour — the only anti-social behaviour here was from the prison,” he said.

They are bad neighbours. They are disrespectful, they haven’t engaged with the community despite elected representatives telling them this wasn’t good.” 

The IPS said 70% of prisoners are committed to custody with addiction issues and preventing the access of contraband into prisons is a high priority.

“The construction of an additional fence on the eastern curtilage of Cork Prison, which is due to be completed at the end of this month, is designed to push out the launch point from which contraband can be thrown into the prison, with the intention of making nearby gardens safe as accessing this area from private gardens will be more difficult," a spokesman said.

“This issue of members of the public using private property to project contraband into a prison is a criminal offence and should be reported to An Garda Síochána.”