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Irish Daily Mirror
11-07-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Masked armed gang smashes up home and cars as Gardai launch investigation
Footage has emerged of a shocking incident in Cork which saw a group of masked men, armed with weapons, engage in an attack on a home and a multiple cars. The video above shows a gang of several thugs approaching a property with a range of weapons - including slash hooks and crow bars - before attacking the front door. Meanwhile, on the road, other masked men can be seen smashing two parked cars and breaking their windows as glass is sent flying before they flee the scene. CorkBeo reports that the incident took place on Thursday night in Onslow Gardens near Blackpool. The attack took place shortly before 10pm, when it was still bright out. No injuries have been reported. Local Gardai have confirmed that they are investigating "an incident of criminal damage that occurred outside a residence in Onslow Gardens, Cork at approximately 9:45 pm last night." A spokesperson added: "Damage was reported to a house and vehicle. No injuries were reported." In a plea for the perpetrators to stop, Ken O'Flynn TD said an escalating feud on Cork's northside is "terrorising... an otherwise peaceful neighbourhood." He said: "Innocent residents - men, women, and children - were caught in the middle of this madness," he said, "Several families have had their vehicles vandalised, their safety compromised, and their sense of community shattered. This is not just unacceptable. It is appalling." The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week He added: "This kind of violence has no place on our streets... I am calling for calm and restraint from all involved. Nothing justifies this sort of aggression, and it must stop before someone is seriously injured or killed. I urge those engaged in this feud to take a step back and consider the devastation they are bringing not only upon each other but upon the wider community." The Independent Ireland Deputy said he would raise the incident with Gardaí and the Minister for Justice and would do 'all in his power to facilitate' a resolution to the feud.
Daily Record
11-07-2025
- Daily Record
Moment armed masked gang smash up home and cars in brazen attack
"Innocent residents - men, women, and children - were caught in the middle of this madness." The shocking moment a gang of masked men, armed with weapons, attacking a home and cars in a brazen incident has been caught on video. A mob of at least nine thugs can be seen approaching a home with weapons ranging from slash hooks to crow bars before attacking the front door in the disturbing footage. More masked men are seen smashing up two parked cars, breaking all the windows and sending glass flying before cowardly fleeing, reports CorkBeo. The frightening incident occurred last night shortly before 10 pm at Onslow Gardens, a mature housing estate near Blackpool, home to many older residents and young families. The brazen criminals 'terrorised' the neighbourhood while it was still bright outside. However, it's understood there were no injuries. Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating"an incident of criminal damage that occurred outside a residence in Onslow Gardens, Cork at approximately 9:45 pm last night." A spokesperson said: "Damage was reported to a house and vehicle. No injuries were reported." In a plea for the perpetrators to stop, Ken O'Flynn TD said an escalating feud on Cork's northside is " terrorising... an otherwise peaceful neighbourhood." "Innocent residents - men, women, and children - were caught in the middle of this madness," he said. "Several families have had their vehicles vandalised, their safety compromised, and their sense of community shattered. This is not just unacceptable. It is appalling. "This kind of violence has no place on our streets... I am calling for calm and restraint from all involved. Nothing justifies this sort of aggression, and it must stop before someone is seriously injured or killed. "I urge those engaged in this feud to take a step back and consider the devastation they are bringing not only upon each other but upon the wider community." The Independent Ireland Deputy said he would raise the incident with Gardaí and the Minister for Justice and would do "all in his power to facilitate" a resolution to the feud. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. We're also on Facebook - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and Record Online
Irish Examiner
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Cork TD 'inundated' with rumours after plan to co-locate refugees in city centre building dropped
Residents and owners of apartments in Cork city centre have given a guarded welcome to the axing of plans to co-locate asylum seeker accommodation in part of their building. But the scenario that has played out at their building since before Christmas has prompted calls for a review of the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) sourcing system for better communication with residents who may be directly affected, and for a review of the regulations which were introduced in 2022 to fast-track the delivery of accommodation for international protection applicants or people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central, Ken O'Flynn, said the handling of the saga raises many questions for IPAS. 'This is largely the result of the State's cloak-and-dagger approach to sourcing IPAS accommodation,' he said. 'It's all smoke and mirrors. What we need is straight, open, and plain dialogue with all the stakeholders, with local councillors, TDs, local residents." Some of the former office space at 23-25 South Terrace was converted into a communal dining area. It follows a protracted saga since January following confirmation the State was considering an offer of IPAS accommodation for up to 50 people across two floors of former office space at 23-25 South Terrace, a striking four-storey Georgian building with a basement. While the ground and first floor were previously offices, and unoccupied for some time, there are 22 residential apartments on the upper floors. The government introduced regulations in 2022, amending the planning and development regulations by inserting a new Class 20F exemption, which permitted the temporary change of use of certain buildings for use by the State as accommodation for international protection applicants without the need for planning permission. The work would be considered exempted development - it would not need regular planning permission - if it met certain criteria. The regulations listed a range of structures that could be considered under the Class 20F exemption, including schools, colleges, universities, training centres, social centres, community centres, or any structure or part of a structure normally used for public worship or religious instruction. The provisions were temporary and time-limited and were due to expire in December 2024, but were later extended to December 2028, and expanded to include structures being used to accommodate people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some of the former office space at 23-25 South Terrace was converted into a laundry room. The list, however, made no mention of co-locating IPAS centres within the same building with existing residential use, as was proposed at 23-25 South Terrace. Last November, a formal application was lodged with Cork City Council requesting a Section 5 declaration for 23-25 South Terrace, which asked the council to confirm if the temporary use of part of the building as overnight accommodation for displaced persons or persons seeking international protection is exempted development – that it does not require planning permission. Floor plans submitted with the application showed how the ground floor would be converted to bedrooms, with a communal cooking and dining area, recreation lounges, a laundry room and storage areas, with more bedrooms, toilets and showers on the first floor. City planners stressed that it was not their job to determine the acceptability or otherwise of an IPAS centre at this location, but to assess whether or not the project constitutes development, and if so, is exempted development. They said the plans constituted a material change of use from office to residential but crucially, they said the previous use of the ground and first floor was office space, and that offices was included on the list of Class 20F exemptions. They requested further information to clarify if the new accommodation was to be occupied by displaced persons from Ukraine or by IPAS, and requested written confirmation of approval, or approval in principle, for the use of the property as an IPAS centre from either the relevant government department, or the relevant section of the city council. Floor plans submitted with the application showed how the ground floor at 23-25 South Terrace would be converted to bedrooms. A response received in mid-December included a letter from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, which at the time had responsibility for IPAS centres, confirming its interest in using the property for international protection applicants. By mid-January, city planners deemed the proposal as exempted development – effectively clearing the way for work on the two floors to proceed. When the owners of apartments on the upper floors found out about the IPAS plan in their building, they sought answers from City Hall, but were told it was a matter for the relevant department - responsibility for IPAS has since been transferred to the Department of Justice. One property owner told the council: 'We understand the predicament of supporting asylum seekers, we support efforts in housing them but you cannot overlook the impact to long-term residents in your decisions and at a minimum, we are owed the courtesy of engaging the residents and unit owners. 'The lack of care, courtesy, transparency and engagement from Cork City Council is disappointing. 'We think Cork City Council should inform all homeowners across the city centre immediately and those considering buying in Cork City that the council might convert commercial units within an existing residential building at any time under a Section 5 to an IPAS centre without any form of engagement with homeowners or concern for the impact.' Some of the former office space at 23-25 South Terrace was converted into recreation lounges. City Hall said the planning department's role in this was restricted by legislation and there is no statutory mechanism or facility within the process to enable public submissions or wider community engagement as would be the case in a standard planning application process. In the meantime, work on the conversion of the two floors to IPAS accommodation got underway, with partitions erected to create bedrooms, toilets and kitchens installed and furniture delivered. The basement underwent fire safety upgrades. But all that investment is now up in the air after the Department of Justice confirmed to the Irish Examiner last Thursday that the building is no longer being considered for use as an IPAS centre. It declined to confirm when the decision was made, or to explain why the building was no longer deemed suitable. 'Details of individual property appraisals are confidential,' a spokesperson said. While the ground and first floor of 23-25 South Terrace were previously offices, and unoccupied for some time, there are 22 residential apartments on the upper floors. Picture: Noel Sweeney 'Many properties are not approved for use as international protection accommodation often for reasons relating to planning or suitability of the site. Any investment in the property offered to the department through this process remains the responsibility of the provider.' The developer did not respond to requests for comment. Mr O'Flynn said he has some sympathy for the developers who it appears are now left out of pocket but he said the saga proves the need for a root-and-branch review of how the State sources and secures IPAS accommodation. Some of the former office space at 23-25 South Terrace was converted into bedrooms. 'A lot of this could have been avoided if the department was open and upfront with people,' he said. 'There are rumours now about every unoccupied building. My office is inundated on Monday mornings with calls from people who have heard the latest rumour about these buildings in the pubs over the weekend.' Read More Report finds unvetted staff and overcrowding in asylum seeker accommodation
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Cork residents concerned about proposals to establish tolls along the Blarney to Mallow stretch of the M20
The issue was highlighted in the Dáil by Cork politician Ken O'Flynn on Tuesday, June 17. Deputy O'Flynn said M20 tolls must be removed from Blarney to Mallow as they are likely to generate a significant impact on members of local communities who will have no other choice but to use the road for work on a daily or regular basis. The Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central reiterated that many locals living in the north Cork and surrounding areas are fearful of being penalised once the new toll system becomes operational. Mr O'Flynn said: 'This project was supposed to be about the promise of finally delivering on critical infrastructure for the region, but it is rapidly turning from promise to punishment for many local people who will have no other option but to submit to daily toll fees because the lack of any other meaningful transport options.' Deputy O'Flynn wants assurances that this welcome project will not become a financial milestone around the neck of north Cork locals, particularly those living between Blarney and Mallow. 'The Taoiseach has now accepted after I pressed him on the issue, that locals will effectively face a significant impact if nothing changes and if the proposal to proceed with the tolls goes ahead as planned. 'It is vital that a revised model of tolling for certain stretches of the motorway is introduced. We still have time to ensure that this happens so that the residents of north Cork can actually benefit from the motorway as opposed to being financially punished for accessing it in instances where they have no other options but to do so,' he added. The emerging route for the M/N20 road between the two cities was announced on Monday, June 16. The route, which is set to bypass Mallow and Charleville, has been described as a 'key infrastructural priority' in the National Development plan. 100km of shared use 'active travel' infrastructure will also be included in the plans, as well as eight transport hubs, which provide parking for cars and bikes as a way to connect with other forms of transportation. These will be located in Rathduff, Mourneabbey, Mallow, Buttevant, Charleville, Bruree, and Croom. Mallow is also set to receive a new 'Freight Hub', which will provide 30 HGV parking spaces as well as rest and welfare facilities for drivers. The route largely follows its original N20 footprint, apart from significant bypasses in both Mallow and Charleville. At Mallow, the route will deviate at Mourneabbey, sweeping eastwards of the town, and splitting the towns of New Twopothouse and Doneraile, and continuing to bypass Buttevant on its eastern outskirts. The Mallow Junction transport and freight hub will be situated due east of the town, between Parkadallane and Lackanamona. The road will then sweep across the current site of the road, near Ballyhoura and onwards to bypass Charleville to its west. A major junction is due to be constructed at the site of the Ardnageehy Cross Roads, before the road continues through the townlands of Ballypierce and Kiltwohig on its way around the town. From there it will continue on its own path, running almost parallel to the current road on its way to Bruree, where a new transport hub will be built even further west of the town than the current road, at Ballyteige. Continuing into south County Limerick, the new road will skirt Banoge to the west, before joining up with the current N20 just south of Croom, at Anhid East. It will then continue on the current N20 before diverting to a brand new three leg directional junction at Gorteen, just a few hundred metres west of the current junction. The project, which could cost up to €3 billion and get underway by 2028, will see over 80km of motorway built, while almost 200 farms and some 20 homes along the route set to be subject to a Compulsory Purchase Order by the Department of Transport.
The Journal
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
TD Ken O'Flynn says he didn't know La-Z-Boy was a brand and just wanted what ‘everyone else has'
INDEPENDENT IRELAND TD Ken O'Flynn has said he was unaware that La-Z-Boy was a 'brand' and that he just requested what 'everyone else is provided with'. In an email in mid-February to the Leinster House facilities management, O'Flynn looked for ten separate items for his parliamentary office to 'enhance the workspace's comfort and functionality.' That included a La-Z-Boy recliner as 'comfortable seating' for use during break periods and office meetings – such seats often retail at well over €1,000. However, in an interview on the Neil Prendeville Show on Cork's RedFM, O'Flynn said he didn't know where the €1,000 price tag came from. When it was noted by host Prendeville that La-Z-Boy chairs are routinely priced in excess of €1,000, O'Flynn said he was unaware that La-Z-Boy was a brand and that he thought the term referred to a style of chair. O'Flynn said he 'didn't realise they were a brand and I just thought it was the name of the chair'. He added that he uses the term 'La-Z-Boy' for a style of chair that 'goes back slightly' and that there is 'no footrest' on the chair. Meanwhile, O'Flynn had been at loggerheads with Oireachtas management over delays in getting his office fitted out since he was elected. He told RedFM that he 'was assigned an office in the engineering block, which is outside Leinster House'. 'When I went into an office, there was a table but no chairs, no shelves, there were empty paint cans in the middle of the floor, a big stain on the carpet, and not even a chair for me to sit down at the computer'. He added that he and his staff were 'waiting six weeks for a laptop to be provided'. 'I wrote to the facilities manager and said, 'please, can I have some furniture? Could you take out the rubbish that was left from the previous occupant and could you provide furniture?'' Advertisement O'Flynn said it took six months for him to be assigned an office inside Leinster House and that he was working out of Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins's office 'on part of his desk'. The Independent Ireland TD had had frosty relations with the Oireachtas since his appointment and in January accused them of a 'disregard for the dignity' of his office in a row over lengthy delays in the fit-out of his office. He told RedFM that he 'looked around at what every Senator and TD has' and that the offices contained what O'Flynn described as a 'La-Z-Boy'. 'I requested the exact same furniture that's inside every other TD's office. 'It's a bit misleading to say that I requested a €1,000 chair, I requested a chair to come out of the stockroom where they have chairs but they're out of them.' In response to his request in mid-February, the Oireachtas said they had no recliners in stock and that they were not 'commonly purchased'. When asked if his request 'flies in the face' of previous criticisms of government spending, O'Flynn said he just 'asked them to take a chair out of the stockroom that they have, that everyone else is provided with'. 'I haven't asked for designer wallpaper or floor-to-ceiling mirrors,' said O'Flynn in reference to requests that had been made by other TDs. 'I am just asking to have a proper office after six months of not having an office,' said O'Flynn, 'and an exhausting amount of emails back and forth about where the office is going to be. 'I don't think I asked for anything extraordinary or marvelous, I think it has been blown out of proportion by certain members of the media. 'They're a normal chair, it's just that the back of it goes back.' O'Flynn said he ended up being provided with an 'old-school chair'. -With additional reporting from Ken Foxe Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
