Puck Fair intruders leave school in disarray

August 1995

INTRUDERS who broke into the Killorglin Montessori School, while it was closed for the summer break urinated on the floor of the classroom and left the school in a state of total disarray.

Teacher Martina Moriarty who opened her school in the CRESP-backed Enterprise Centre at Langford Street a year ago spoke to The Kerryman of her shock at discovering the condition, of the classroom last week.

Ms Moriarty said that she suspected that the intruders, who gained access through a window, had broken in during Puck Fair.

A poster was pulled off the wall, cushions and books were thrown around and paints had been used on a small section of the wall. The intruders urinated in a small wash-basin and on the floor and cider bottles were left lying around.

“It’s just the fact that they were in here,” she said. “It made me so mad that someone could come in here and do this. I pride myself on the school. It’s something I’ve always worked towards,” she said.

Ms Moriarty was also disturbed by the fact that the telephone had been used. She found a piece of paper with an English telephone number written on it in the room. She said she hoped to contact Telecom to see if any overseas calls had been made.

A graduate of the St Nicholas Montessori College in Dublin, Ms Moriarty will reopen her school on September 4. Friends and family this week helped her to get the school back to normal.

A spokesman at Killorglin Garda Station said that they were following no definite line of enquiry as regards the break-in. He said local youngsters could have been responsible.

The spokesman said that in general, Puck Fair was one of the best in years as regards low levels of crime. There were however a small number of arrests for Public Order offences.

The spokesman said that the Gardai had met with the Festival Committee already this Monday to discuss next year’s arrangements. He was particularly positive in relation to the traffic arrangements.