This article is from page 6 of the 2006-09-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
THE Lahinch Community Council has targeted the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, and President Mary McAleese in a desperate appeal to end antisocial behaviour in the town.
In a strongly worded statement sent to hundreds of public representatives and the Garda last Friday, the community council described a situation where “people urinate, defecate, vomit and have sex” on the streets of Lahinch in the early hours of the morning.
The statement outlined the community council’s belief that the escalation of the public order problem in the village had resulted in a downturn in tourism with weekend golfing tourist particularly affected.
“Golf tour operators are saying that they will not place business in the village on weekends because of the debauchery they have witnessed on the streets,” the statement reads.
“Some people make more and more money while others see their businesses wither and die. The people who just like to play golf, enjoy the beach with their families and drink responsibly no longer want to come to Lahinch.”
The statement has prompted a sizeable response, with a number of public representatives already showing their support for the community council.
“We have received responses from the Department of Justice and a number of other agencies claiming that they will look into the situation,” said Mary Comber of the community council.
“Madeleine Taylor-Quinn contacted us, offered her total support and said that she had already made representatives to the Director of Services at Clare County Council, Clare Garda Chief Superintendent Liam Quinn and the Minister for Justice.”
According to the Community Council, the level of antisocial behaviour in Lahinch has increased dramatically this summer.
“Our windows are broken on a regular basis and our doors kicked in . . . our cars are deliberately and casually vandalised almost every night during the summer and large groups of drunk people roam the streets, lanes and promenade until the early hours of the morning, shouting and roaring, terrorising and intimidating anyone who tries to reason with them,” the statement continues.
The community council have also requested that a moratorium be placed on new holiday homes being built in the village until the situation has been resolved.