Gardaí seek park lighting to tackle anti-social behaviour in Carrigaline

Gardaí say installing public lighting would help curb anti-social behaviour and improve safety in Carrigaline’s main public park

Gardaí will write to the Carrigaline Municipal District Council seeking the installation of lights

Gardaí are struggling to catch gang members launching fireworks and other missiles at passing cars and engaging in anti-social behaviour in Cork’s largest county town’s park because the area lacks public lighting, where youths congregate in large numbers.

Gardaí will write to the Carrigaline Municipal District Council seeking the installation of lights, with the issue raised by Fine Gael councillor Jack White at a recent meeting.

“It is essential that we install public lighting in the park. I have been speaking with An Garda Siochana following the spate of anti-social behaviour incidents we had in October. They informed me that having lighting in the park would discourage anti-social behaviour, and indeed make their job easier in patrolling the park at night,” Mr White said.

He added that gardaí told him they would send a formal request to the municipal district council seeking the lighting.

Mr White said “thankfully” public order incidents in the town park appear to have diminished since Halloween, but gangs congregating there at night are deterring other members of the public from using the amenity.

Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Donovan said he witnessed some of the incidents in the town on Halloween night and that “gardaí did have a hard time” dealing with them.

Fine Gael councillor Una McCarthy said many people had contacted councillors about the scale of anti-social behaviour in the park, a concern also raised by Sinn Féin councillor Eoghan Fahy.

Municipal chairman and Independent councillor Ben Dalton-O’Sullivan said if gardaí believe lighting the park would help curb anti-social behaviour, the council should support them.

The council agreed to forward the request to its public lighting department.

However, restrictions may limit how many lights can be installed and where they can be positioned.

These restrictions apply to the riverside area of the park, where excessive lighting could impact wildlife.

An environmental impact study may be required before any lighting project proceeds.

Meanwhile, the council is also considering installing additional signage at the ‘back beach’ Special Protection Area (SPA) at Fountainstown to advise dog owners to keep their pets on leads to prevent attacks on wildlife.

The move follows an incident in which dogs killed swans in the area, which went viral after being shared on social media.

Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley received unanimous cross-party support when she asked council officials to take action.

Mr White said he has relatives living in the area and that he personally witnessed a dog attack on a swan while walking there.

“The number of breeding swans has decreased rapidly there in recent years and I believe that's because of this,” he said.