Fears drunk teens may cause fire at Arboretum
FEARS that a major fire could break out at the John F Kennedy Memorial Arboretum, arising from teenage drinking and barbecue and fire lighting – as happened last week – have prompted gardaí to issue an appeal for the public to be vigilant.
Sgt Eddie Wilde said: ‘Over the past week information has come to light that the grounds at JFK Arboretum and general area have been used for anti-social behaviour by groups of youths. It is not huge in quantity, but could have a very negative outcome.’
After the June Bank Holiday weekend a large number of bottles and cans were discovered in the centre of the park.
Along with this there was a number of scorch marks from fires/barbecues in the area.
‘ The Arboretum is a location of international importance and a huge asset and amenity for the New Ross district. A fire in this area would be devastating and could cause irreparable damage and quite likely endanger lives. The current weather adds serious potential for any fire to spread if it started.
‘We don’t believe that any of the people involved are actively trying to cause damage but are not fully aware of the potential negative outcome for the park. We would ask all parents, especially those living in the locality, to highlight to all of their teenagers, the dangers of fire in a location like this even from a small barbecue (as happened in Curracloe previously). I would call on the community to be diligent and to highlight any groups or loud music coming from the park after hours and thank them for their help.’