“The community that I live in does not want burning tyres or  green spaces destroyed,' says Cork councillor

Local Cork councillors have reported that unofficial bonfires cropped up across the city last night, resulting in antisocial behaviour and the destruction of a number of green spaces.

Independent Councillor Kieran McCarthy told The Echo that an illegal bonfire was constructed within his ward where household rubbish was burned, destroying the shared green space.

Newly-planted trees were broken down around the green, with one resident also receiving threats on their home if they attempted to stop the ongoing fires.

“A member of my constituents went out to stop this happening and was told that if they didn’t leave them alone that it would be their house next to go on fire. When it comes to threats of arson, that is intimidation and it is disgraceful,” Cllr McCarthy said.

“This is just an act of a handful of people. So many others come together and take pride in their community spaces. For all their work in planting trees to be ripped up like that is just devastating,” Cllr McCarthy said.

In the North East ward, Labour councillor John Maher has said that wheelie bins were stolen from gardens and burnt along side household waste in ‘drive-thru’ bonfires.

“I saw it with my own eyes, I counted about 60 cars over the course of the night that pulled up on the side of the road, offloaded their things and off they went. This was not a community campfire, this was antisocial behaviour.

“If you want to burn something, while it is wrong, I do understand, to a degree, maybe burning a couch. What I can’t understand is how anyone believes that robbing wheelie bins from vulnerable people’s garden is right.” 

Upon questioning a young man, Cllr Maher was told that their actions were in the name of community.

“The community that I live in and represent certainly does not want fumes, burning tyres or their green spaces destroyed. They don’t want the wheelie bins of their neighbours or family members robbed and burnt out. This is not an act of community.” 

He said: “There was so much positivity across the city last night with the non-fire community events but unfortunately, we had these illegal bonfires popping up. What happened last night is regrettable and especially for our young people as only just hours before we had so much positivity around the night in our area.” “There are people now left with the aftermath, whether it is the Council, or local Tidy Towns. 

"I know there is one elderly man that was out today in one community that was out already today with a plastic bag trying to pick up debris,” Cllr Maher said.

Both councillors commended Cork City Fire Brigade and the emergency services for their hard work on the night and advised that further discussions will be held in Council meetings on the topic.

Kevin Higgins, third officer at Cork City Fire Brigade told The Echo that Monday night was a busy one for fire services, as they received in the region of 110 calls, including many to local bonfires.

Despite the high amount of calls, he said that the fires they were called out to were “nothing hugely serious”, with all able to be extinguished quickly.

-----