Call to bring back stocks to punish Kildare fly-tippers

FOR three weekends in a row, in or around a dozen bags of domestic refuse have been flytipped outside St Brigid's Cemetery gates in Kilcullen. 

Locals are, understandably, angry. Dumping rubbish is bad enough. For people who visit the cemetery, and there are many each day, it's doubly disgraceful.

"It's so disrespectful to the departed loved ones of the community," Edward Dowling posted on a Facebook comment. "Absolutely vile people," another respondent wrote. "Only a matter of time, and it will be dumped INSIDE the gates," says Kay Tyrrell. 

Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer is of the same mind, describing the incidents as a "scourge". 

"People who think it’s OK to dump anywhere have no regard for anything, but to dump at a graveyard is the height of disrespect — these people are a disgrace and need to be called out." There are calls for a 'stakeout' to catch the perpetrators. Lots of Kilcullen people want CCTV cameras placed at the spot, located in the rural and narrow McGarry's Lane outside Kilcullen.

John McNamee suggests that, if caught, the miscreants should be made to work for a week at the Kilcullen recycling centre. Eugene Brennan has what could be a more satisfying idea: to bring back the medieval stocks and pillories to the town square. 

"We could throw rotten veg at them. Vandals could also be punished. Also, those who don't pick up dog poo and other such villains." He's not even half in jest.

The number of bags being dropped suggests it's more than one household's waste, but less than someone collecting from a number of houses and then fly-tipping them. The contents on each occasion have been similar, comprising various brands of beer bottles, takeaway food containers, foreign cigarette packs, and other domestic rubbish. To some, that indicates a group of men living together, perhaps travelling workers.

Kildare's community warden has been investigating. As yet, no discoveries that might identify the dumpers have been reported. But it's thought the waste is coming from the general locality, because McGarry's Lane would not be generally known by people from outside the area.

Stakeouts are not recommended by the authorities. 

"You never know who you're going to meet," this writer was warned. 

Besides, those bedevilling Kilcullen have so far done their deed on different weekend nights.

CCTV is not satisfactory, either. It could be used to identify the dumpers but can't be used as evidence in court. Without hard evidence and proof of an address, it's virtually impossible for a local authority to prosecute fly-tippers successfully.

All of which is depressing for Kilcullen, and various other areas around the town where this kind of thing is a thumbing of noses at the people who pay to have their waste dealt with properly.

Maybe Eugene Brennan's idea is right. Otherwise, worse could happen to the fly-tippers if they happen to be caught in the act by increasingly angry Kilcullen people.