Vigilance catches illegal dumper

A COMBINATION of community vigilance and rapid action by Kilcullen Gardai led to the catching of illegal dumpers who left their refuse repeatedly at the gates of a local cemetery. They now face a court appearance and fines.

The incidents happened on weekends in late July and through August, with the perpetrators leaving an average of ten bags of refuse each time at St Brigid's Cemetery in McGarry's Lane, a little way outside the town. It was clear from the contents of the bags that it was domestic rubbish, though on a somewhat larger scale than a single normal household.

The repeated dumping angered the Kilcullen community on many levels. 

Beyond the rubbish itself, there was severe upset over the choice of location, which showed a complete lack of respect for the resting place of Kilcullen’s loved ones who had passed away. 

Then there was the disgust at the attitude of those doing the dumping, displaying an arrogance that, by returning repeatedly, they believed they had an easy way of disposing of their rubbish, knowing it would be quickly collected from such a place.

Their arrogance was their downfall, as it made people more vigilant in the area, especially at weekends. The Gardaí and Kildare County Council were already investigating the incidents when the last one happened on Saturday, 29 August, and the dumpers were caught. 

This was thanks to the quick reporting of the incident and an immediate response by Kilcullen Gardaí, which yielded a positive outcome. The perpetrators were tracked to their residence, some 20 kilometres from Kilcullen, and were immediately brought back to McGarry's Lane to clean up their latest mess.

A prosecution jointly by the gardai and the Kildare County Council's community Warden service is now being processed. A maximum fine of €4,000 applies for a conviction in the district court, and the possibility of being charged the local authority's costs and expenses investigating the offence and incurred in bringing the prosecution.

The success in catching the culprits has been widely welcomed in Kilcullen. What puzzles many is the fact that the fly-tippers were prepared to make a round trip of 40 kilometres every week to dispose of their rubbish unlawfully, when, by going a couple of kilometres further to the Silliot Hill centre and paying a few euros, they could have disposed of it legally.