*Kilnasoolagh Park.
THREE CHILDREN were rescued from a home in the village of Newmarket-on-Fergus in the middle of the night which was subject to a petrol bomb attack.
No injuries were reported following the petrol bomb attack on Wednesday night in Kilnasooalgh Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus. It is the second criminal arson attack to occur in the village within the space of four months.
A neighbour of the targeted property had to rescue three children from the premises after the petrol bomb was thrown through the front windows of the house.
Emergency services including units of the Clare County Fire and Rescue Service and An Garda Síochána responded to the incident on Wednesday night.
There have been no arrests made following the attack. In a statement to The Clare Echo, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána commented, “Gardaí are investigating an alleged incident of criminal damage by fire to a residential property in Newmarket On Fergus, Co. Clare that occurred on Wednesday the 17th June, 2026 shortly after 11:30pm”.
This is the latest criminal act in the village of Newmarket-on-Fergus following a firebombing and stabbing which took place at the beginning of February.
Newmarket-on-Fergus native, Cllr David Griffin (FF) said the incident has put local residents on edge. “It’s been a shock locally, it is not something that is commonplace in our community or what is considered acceptable to local people, it was hugely frightening and distressing for residents, it is not something you expect to see in a tight-knit community like Newmarket-on-Fergus but it is also not the first time we’ve had issues locally. I have consistently raised the need for more Garda resources in our community with An Garda Síochána and the Minister for Justice. It is about law and order, our communities need to feel safe and protected, it is very worrying that these criminal acts are taking place”.
Acknowledging that it is the second such criminal act within four months, Cllr Griffin said he has been raising the matter with Garda personnel. “I have been banging the drum for additional resources, I have made a submission to the Garda Service Delivery Plan for 2026 where I reiterated the need for additional supports and foot patrols. I’ve also been involved with fellow councillors in Clare County Council looking for the rollout of community CCTV. Issues like this and acts of criminality highlight the need for An Garda Síochána and Clare County Council to provide deterrents, those of us who play by the rules and do the right thing have a right to feel safe in the communities we live in. I’ve been onto the Superintendent this morning and we need to see a response from An Garda Síochána to see law and order prevail, we cannot allow a small number of people to get away with this criminality”.
Acts of criminality must continue to be reported, Cllr Griffin told The Clare Echo. “I’m doing everything I can as a local councillor to raise the needs of the community of Newmarket-on-Fergus within the higher ranks of An Garda Síochána. We’re told regularly from An Garda Síochána that reporting is key and that Garda resources are allocated based on a heatmap of where incidents are reported by the public. I will continue to raise these issues within my contacts of An Garda Síochána. We’re a tight-knit and small local community, we need to keep reporting crimes to An Garda Síochána to build our case for more resources”.
Despite the rise in serious criminal offences that has left local residents on edge, Gardaí said they could not commit to providing additional resources in the village of Newmarket-on-Fergus. “For operational reasons, An Garda Síochána does not comment on current or future deployment of resources,” a Garda spokesperson told The Clare Echo.
On the prospect of Newmarket-on-Fergus receiving more Garda resources, Cllr Griffin stated, “That is a matter for An Garda Síochána, law and order is a matter for An Garda Síochána, I’ve no direct role in instructing them but I am making the case at the most senior levels I can. This is not just happening in Newmarket-on-Fergus, this is coming out in communities across the country. We are constantly hearing all over Ireland that we need more boots on the ground and more of a Garda presence so I will continue to raise the case”.
