This article is from page 10 of the 2011-12-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
THE closure of Carrigaholt Garda Station was last night described as “another nail in the coffin” of rural Clare.
The Justice Minister announced yesterday that 31 Garda stations nationwide – including Carrigaholt in West Clare – will be closed next year, due to widespread cutbacks.
There had been fears for the future of more than a dozen Garda stations across the county amid substantial numbers of reti rements allied to budget cutbacks.
While residents in many rural areas will be relieved that their local barracks will remain open, the news was met with anger in Carrigaholt.
Garda Charlie Killeen, who had been stationed in Carrigaholt, retired last week, and while there were concerns that the station would close, there were some hopes that he would be replaced.
“Everything is being cut,” said Luke Aston of the Car rigaholt Development Association.
“It is an awful disappointment to see it happening. We are 25 minutes from the nearest full-time station in Kilrush, while it is 45 minutes from the furthest point on the Loop to Kilrush,” he added.
“All you are left with now in the village is the doctor and post office. Most of the young lads have left for Australia. Sixty people from the Peninsula have left for Australia in the past year,” said Mr Aston.
“Taking services in one area and trying to generate them in another doesn’t make much sense at all,” he added.
Local businessman Mark Carmo dy said this is further evidence that the people of West Clare are being forgotten.
“There was speculation leading up to it. There were r umours,” he said.
“Everything is being pared back this far into the peninsula. We are being forgotten about,” said Mr Carmody.
“We are wondering why [this has happened], especially with all the burglaries and robberies going on around the country,” he said.
Up to the 1980s there had been two gardaí based in Car rigaholt and this since reduced to one. A dwelling house is attached to the Garda station.
Local county councillor Gabriel Keating (Fine Gael) said, “The loss of the local Garda station is another nail in the coffin of this par t of r ural Ireland.
“How much more can rural Ireland take? We have lost our creamery, the A & E has gone to Limerick and Clare VEC is going to Limerick. All we had left in many par ts of rural Ireland was the GAA, schools, church and the local garda. Now the farda has gone and schools are under threat,” added Cllr Keating.
Carrigaholt does not have a community alert scheme, many of which have been set up in rural parts in recent months in reaction to concerns over rural crime. There is one in nearby Doonaha.