*Killaloe.
ATTEMPTS to increase the amount of Gardaí patrolling busy tourist spots in East Clare will be examined.
An increased level of policing was sought by Cllr Tony O’Brien (FF) for the tourism amenities of East Clare.
Speaking at the September meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District, he stated, “we have considerable resources gone into attracting tourism and amenities from Mountshannon and Whitegate to Ballina and Killaloe, Dromineer and Terryglass, I’d hope to see an increasing level of policing to prevent incidents we had in previous years.
“We had a serious incident in Killaloe this year and I would like to commend An Garda Síochána and the agencies who responded. I want to see a level that would prevent those accidents and when those type of people that come to cause destruction are dealt with firmly”.
Last October, Ollie Baker was appointed as the Superintendent in Nenagh Garda Station so he advised the meeting he had experienced one full spring and summer period in the role. “We had an incident where there was a boat taken without permission in Garrykennedy, that boat was spotted in Killaloe before the new model and we (Clare and Tipperary Garda Divisions) were holding hands, we were able to work together, we were on the ground and we had a the boat in the water, we were able to deploy air and water support unit to deal with that, we had a very successful outcome to take man off stolen boat and deal with him through the courts, it showed how the system worked”.
Supt Baker added, “the congregation of people leads to worry, prevention is better than the cure, something I’d be advocating that is more than just the Guard there because it is not sustainable but I will commit to have Gardaí there when required, it is an opportunity for us to get there, it is more than a Garda in uniform, it is anything from an educational point of view”.
Tourism’s importance to the region was acknowledged by the Doora native. “Tourism is huge in this part of the country, when the new bridge opens in Killaloe it will open this part of the county, it is a more niche tourist market than West or North Clare but it is still very valuable. I wouldn’t want the impression to go out that this is an area with anti-social behaviour that you can’t come down here on your boat”.
