18 sv1 The Irish Mail on Sunday OCTOBER 8 • 2017 I’m too scared to show my face, WRECKED LIFE: Pensioner they might John Byrne thought he was going come back to die and kill me Locals living in terror… but when will their Garda station reopen? By Debbie McCann CRIME CORRESPONDENT ‘The robbers are back down the M9 before you get a response. It’s a joke’ PENSIONER John Byrne tenta- tively agrees to a silhouette pic- CARLOW M9 SINCE their garda station shut its an incident in Myshall, but you need ture. The frail and nervous GARDA STATION 12km AWAY door four years ago the people of them in Leighlinbridge. 68-year-old had his life turned AND 15 MINUTE DRIVE Leighlinbridge have been forced to rely ‘If our station does open, we need gardaí upside down when three men burst on a part-time station in Bagenalstown, to police it.’ into his home as he was getting 5km in the opposite direction to the He added: ‘Carlow is further down the ready for bed. The event is on his M9 TULLOW motorway locals fear is being used by motorway but, if an incident happens mind ‘constantly’ and he ‘shakes’ GARDA STATION 20km AWAY travelling criminals; Carlow Garda Station, here, they respond here. If they were to with fear when he recalls their AND 20 MINUTE DRIVE more than 12km away cross county, and cut someone off on the motorway, you’d threats to come back and ‘kill him’ M9 Tullow, over 20km away. have to be able to supply them with the if he lied about having no money. The closest station is six minutes away details they need, like car type and The retired council worker had M9 by car. Carlow and Tullow are 15 minutes registration number.’ been quietly enjoying his retire- and 20 minutes away respectively. A retired garda told how he remembers ment in rural Co. Carlow, after over One man who works in a shop said he a time when there was a sergeant and 40 years working in a meat factory rings Bagenalstown first and, if that fails, three gardaí stationed in Leighlinbridge. and later in the county council. LEIGHLINBRIDGE is transferred to either Carlow or Tullow. ‘I was stationed in it. It is a real shame it That was until eight months ago GARDA STATION CLOSED 2013 ‘Sure the lads who did the robbing are is closed. We are supposed to work in the when the men burst into his iso- down the motorway before you get a community. ’ Another local added that the lated home by prising open his response. It’s a joke,’ he said. only garda they see in Leighlinbridge is a back window with a screwdriver. THE DISTANCE AND Another man told how Bagenalstown young garda who lives in the town but is They shoved him into his bathroom BAGENALSTOWN covers an area that extends as far as stationed elsewhere. and locked the door. There he GARDA STATION 5km AWAY TIME TO TRAVEL TO Myshall – 20km from Leighlinbridge. ‘The only time we see a garda round LEIGHLINBRIDGE ‘Even when you do get through there, here is when she is dropping her children the one car they have could be covering to school.’ ‘I was too afraid to live in They told me they would be back – incident, was struck on the head tions closed around the country – has politics involved in reopening my house any more’ that frightened me worse. I am a with either a hammer or an imita- been named in an interim Garda Garda stations but feels strongly nervous sort of a lad anyway, so tion firearm. He told the MoS he report recommending its reopen- about Leighlinbridge. He told the this really knocked me. I had a dog was ‘lucky to be alive’ after two ing because of an increase in popu- MoS he has not seen a Garda in the stayed for more than nine and a but I had to give him away. This raiders burst in with a hammer and lation, its proximity to the M9 and town since the station closed in half hours, ‘sure’ they would carry place wouldn’t have suited him. I a gun. Agreeing that the motorway vulnerability to mobile criminals. 2013 and that seeing it reopened out their threat to kill him. was very sorry to say goodbye.’ has resulted in some of the crime in Also named in the report was would give him ‘peace of mind’. Soon after, Mr Byrne fled his Mr Byrne decided to tell his story the area, he said he is ‘lucky to be Stepaside in south Dublin – the ‘We’d all love to see it open,’ home and sought refuge in a care in the hope it will put pressure on alive’ after his ordeals. constituency of Transport Minister agreed Mr O’Connor. home. He now has a panic button the Government to reopen his local ‘The first guy sentenced for raid- Shane Ross – which the Government Other locals, while hopeful, strapped to his wrist. ‘They Garda station at Leighlinbridge. ing my shop got a total of seven reopened head of the other stations couldn’t help being sceptical. destroyed my life. I think about it Another man who wants the sta- years,’ he added, ‘but the sentences named in the report. These include ‘Will the station ever open?’ asked every minute of every day,’ he told tion reopened is Art O’Connor, who were to run concurrently and he Leighlinbridge, Donard in one man, who didn’t want to be the Irish Mail on Sunday. runs the local post office. He was was out in a year. It’s a joke.’ Co. Wicklow and Rush in north named. ‘I’m not so sure – we don’t ‘I lived in that house for 40 years robbed three times in two months Leighlinbridge Garda Station – Dublin. have a TD in the town.’ but I couldn’t live there any more. last year and, in one horrifying which is among more than 130 sta- John Byrne knows little about the [email protected] Bankrupt Seán Dunne living with wife Gayle, argues official THE official handling bust developer Seán By If the bid to have Dunne’s bankruptcy He swore that Gayle Dunne’s solicitors Dunne’s bankruptcy in Ireland believes that Valerie Hanley extended by the maximum amount of time provided him with a handwritten note, the father of seven and his ‘estranged’ possible succeeds, it will mean that the indicating her address. Mr Lehane added: second wife, Gayle Dunne, are living in the possible because he believes that Mr Dunne Carlow-born developer will be 67 before he ‘The note purported to include the address same £5m exclusive mansion in the UK. has ‘knowingly given an incorrect address’ is able to make a fresh financial start. of the bankrupt’ (Seán Dunne). When the case comes before the court and failed to co-operate with him. In his affidavit, Mr Lehane states: ‘I In May, the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed tomorrow, Official Assignee Christopher These claims are in an affidavit sworn by believe that his current address is in the that she was living in a mansion set in more Lehane will apply to have the 63-year-old’s Mr Lehane on September 18 and are UK, despite the fact that his affidavit than three acres of wooded gardens in the bankruptcy extended by the maximum time publicly available on the bankruptcy file. claims he still lives in New York.’ English stockbroker belt of Surrey. NOVEMBER 19 • 2017 The Irish Mail on Sunday 19 Karl Bond’s life was threatened, his wife assaulted, the mother of his grandchildren attacked and his two dogs poisoned. He watches TV with two knives beside him. In the war against rural crime, he says… IT’S KILL OR BE KILLED sergeant and five gardaí in the house. When I realised it wasn’t my Ferbane Garda Station. There was a brother’s grandson, I turned around sergeant and garda in Ballinahown. and they boys were gone. They had There was a sergeant and five ransacked the house. Our closest garda station is an gardaí in Banagher. There was a ‘They were never caught but the sergeant and two gardaí in Cloghan, gardaí have an idea who they are. and Shannonbridge had a sergeant They supposedly live in Clondalkin. and a garda. Now Shannonbridge is ‘They were driving a grey Mazda hour’s drive away in Cavan town closed. Ballinahown is closed and with a false number plate. there is a sergeant and one garda ‘The same car appeared up around THE decision to close a By Debbie McCann Blacklion is Cavan operating in Ferbane. Banagher has Ferbane days later with a different west Cavan garda town and they can’t go number plate. station at night has on mobile patrol in west north. Some of the ‘It happens when people are gone caused outrage. Cavan during night mountainous areas on to Mass or a funeral. There has to Locals in Blacklion, time hours, but some the way is totally ‘Over 300 people turned be a local information centre for Co. Cavan – where locals do not feel this is inaccessible during these guys.’ Neven Maguire’s enough. winter. ’ up with stories to tell’ ‘Charlie Flanagan will tell you MacNean House & Garry McKiernan, of Another local said the there are 800 new gardaí but what Restaurant is situated – the West Cavan decision to close his he doesn’t appear to know is that say their nearest Concerned Residents’ garda station was a sergeant and two gardaí.