Kilcoole residents protest at campers

October 1983

The latest news in the sad saga of the Kilcoole industrial estate is that a large number of traders have descended on the site and encamped.

They number about 40 adults and 80 children, They are not Wicklow itinerant families and many appear to be either northern Irish or English. Each week a large container lorry arrives to supply them with rugs, carpets and other items for roadside trading, which is carried on elsewhere.

The residents of Kilcoole are up in arms. On Sunday, Fr E Barry spoke from the pulpit and reminded Wicklow County Council of its responsibility for the condition of the estate.

At the present time, he said, it would be hard to get any investor interested.

Mr Edward Foley, chairman of the Kilcoole residents association, backed up what Father Barry had said and added some remarks on behalf of the Association.

Employment was badly needed in the village, but no one would invest when they saw the state of the industrial area.

He wanted the area fenced off and a gate installed.

The residents committee also suggested that the 26 acres on the west side and the four acres on the Newtown side be rented to a local farmer on a five-year term.

All the groups and people of Kilcoole, said MR Foley, should get together and take drastic action against Wicklow County Council as they were dragging their heels. It was a disgrace for any county council to leave such valuable property open in that way. He was afraid that Wicklow would soon become known as the Dirty County and not the Garden of Ireland.

He reminded TDs and councillors that it was the votes of the people that put them either into Government or into opposition.

Wicklow County Council Secretary, Mr Ultan McCabe, said that the council are very aware of what has happened at Kilcoole and are in the process of doing something about it. They intend to surround the entire area with chain link fencing and have a locked gate. This will impose hardship on present factory owners there, but it is the only way to protect this large very open space. They would also be cleaning up the estate as he agreed it was in a deplorable state. Unfortunately, the industrial estate to date had not been a success due to the recession.

The council were also aware of the nuisance of these new campers and were getting them removed, but due process of the law would have to take its course. The people could rest assured that they would be leaving soon, and they had informed local councillors of these facts.