Posted on March 14, 2019

Tyrrelstown Terror: Local Residents Say Teenage Gangs Are Simply out of Control

James Brennan, Irish News, March 10, 2019

Following Friday’s horrific assault on young a Ashbourne native by a feral gang, reputedly from Tyrrelstown, The Liberal spoke to an elderly Tyrrelstown native who said that teenage gangs in the area are simply “out of control”.

“This place has changed so much it’s heartbreaking. It was once a beautiful quiet country place, now these people have arrived and everything is so unbelievably different and so terrifying. They have literally taken over and unless the government intervenes now and comes down hard, I can’t see any future here of any description – it will be finished for Irish people.”

“Unless the gardai are armed, and willing to shoot when necessary, I can’t see any way out of it. There’s absolutely no respect for age, tradition, or a person’s sex. I’m an old man now and I have nothing against anyone my whole life, but I have to say that this trouble is predominately coming from strapping young big men of African original who appear to be a law upon themselves. I have never seen strength or rawness like it. People are afraid to say anything to them in case the get the hiding of a lifetime similar to the poor Ashbourne chap. Others are afraid of being called racist, however I think this is beginning to weaken as a lot of people no longer care or are afraid to say what’s really happening.”

“I really don’t know how this is going to end because people are terrified, but unless the State comes in and gives the gardai the power to come down on these people like a hammer, I really don’t know where it’s going to end. Even in 10 years time, where will we be with these people? They’re going around like gangsters, but thankfully the only thing that they don’t seem to have is guns but that’s only as of yet.”

“People have been talking about this amongst themselves at home and in the pub for quite some time, but now they’re beginning to talk about a publicly.”

“If Leo Varadkar or Simon Harris and all the do-gooders who welcome these people in with open arms, came to live in my area in Tyrrelstown for even just one night, they would have a different tune to their fiddle.”

“We are sick and tired of this nightmare and we want the country that our parents had back.”