Mother of teenage girl who died after scrambler crash calls for justice

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association

The mother of a teenager who died after a crash in north Dublin has pledged to “fight” to get scrambler bikes and e-scooters off the streets.

Grace Lynch died after an incident on the Ratoath Road in Finglas on Sunday afternoon.

More than 1,000 people gathered on Monday evening to retrace a route walked by Grace on the day she died.

Grace’s mother Siobhan held a sign with a picture of her daughter with the words “justice for Grace” as she led the walk from Valley Park estate to Plunkett Green.

“Justice for Grace, justice for my daughter,” Ms Lynch said as she walked the route.

“Justice for Grace, get the scramblers off the streets.”

At Plunkett Green, the crowd of friends, neighbours and locals sang Grace and released pink balloons into the air.

Ms Lynch thanked people for coming out for the walk, and said: “I will fight to get these scramblers and scooters and everything off these streets”.

In a heartfelt plea, she said watching her daughter “take her last breath was the worst pain imaginable”.

“It’s not something that any parent should have to deal with,” she said as she pledged to launch a campaign.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said that scramblers “are a scourge on our communities” that needed to be tackled.

“People have a right to be safe and secure on their streets and in public spaces,” she said on X.

“We need stronger laws and we need them enforced including more vehicles, drones and training for the Gardai to take on this scourge before another life is lost.”

Councillor Conor Reddy said the incident was “tragic”, and said his thoughts were with Grace’s family and friends.

“Scramblers have been an issue as long as I can remember in Finglas (and in) many other working class communities,” he said on X.

“Successive Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael governments have done nothing to meaningfully reduce danger or to improve outcomes for anybody.”

Two teenagers on the bike, an adult male and a male juvenile, were treated for “non life-threatening” injuries after the incident on Sunday.

A man aged in his late teens was arrested on Sunday evening.