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"This is an attack on our
community"
21.04.09
COMMUNITY workers have
described their "bitter disappointment" following a
burglary at an historic snooker hall in Moville. The
thieves broke into the snooker room at the historic
St Eugene's Hall and removed two coin meters used to
activate the over-table lights. They also destroyed
expensive double doors to get into the room.
St Eugene's Hall committee and snooker club member,
Martin Farren said while the burglars only managed
to get between €60 and €90 from the
regularly-emptied €1 meters, the damage they caused
will run into thousands. Estimates to fix the damage
and provide extra security run between €3,000 and
€5,000. |
"This is an attack on
the community and an attack on young people in
Moville. We want to make it clear, this is no
reflection on the youth of Moville. The people here
are very, very good. We know that the young people
enjoy the facility and their parents appreciate the
peace of mind they get knowing where their children
are at night. This was the work of just one or two
mindless people," said Mr Farren.
Garda forensic officers took fingerprints last week
at the scene of the crime which occurred sometime
over the Easter Bank Holiday. |
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The volunteers believe
the thieves got into the building while the main
hall was open for other activities. They then made
their way down to the locked snooker hall and broke
through the doors. Young snooker club volunteer
Daniel McHenry discovered the incident when he went
to open up after the holiday break. The local
committee is reeling following the incident not
least because it took much fundraising, hard work
and dedication by locals such as Hugh McHenry and
John Crumlish to get the snooker room reopened. |
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The two snooker tables
- in the hall since 1897 - were refurbished at a
cost of more than €3,000 two years ago in tandem
with the work being done on the main hall. The
reopening of the snooker room saw the return of many
old faces and plenty of new ones, as people flocked
to the much-needed local facility. Sadly, however,
this was not a one-off burglary since the club
reopened. A previous incident saw one of the coin
meters vandalised and €90 stolen from a locker in
the room.
But life-time snooker club member John Crumlish
echoed Martin Farren's words. |
"This is absolutely no
reflection on the youth of this area who fully
support the amenities that are there for them. This
is a great place for boys and girls to come along to
with their friends, especially in the long winter
evenings. It's great to see them playing snooker in
a place that has such a great history attached to
it," said Mr Crumlish. Meanwhile, snooker club
chairman Paddy Doherty said the members would
persevere for the vast majority of people who
appreciate and respect badly needed local amenities.
"We will overcome this latest obstacle and carry on
but we will now have to look at installing extra
security measures like CCTV cameras.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank
local Gardai for acting so promptly when the
incident was reported to them. We have no doubt they
will investigate every avenue to get the people
involved," said Mr Doherty. |
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