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Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Child sexual assault and indecent exposures among 4,300 complaints made to Irish Rail last year
Irish Rail received nearly 4,300 messages to its dedicated text line for reporting antisocial behaviour on train services last year, with passengers complaining about drug use, violence, sexual assault, and indecent exposure. Among the incidents reported in 2024 include a man defecating in the middle of a carriage, a fist-fight involving a man and a woman, a passenger brandishing a sword, and a child allegedly being sexually assaulted. A government TD is now calling for a dedicated public transport unit of An Garda Síochána. Records released under freedom of information laws suggest that drugs are regularly being openly abused on train services, with children even observed smoking cannabis on the Dart in January of last year. In February, one commuter texted Irish Rail to report a couple openly using cocaine on a train service with their baby in a pram in front of them, while a man on a train near Killiney last May was reported to have removed his trousers while smoking cannabis. Alcohol consumption was also a recurring problem. On February 29, a 'violent, aggressive drunk man' was removed from a train at Clara, after which distressed passengers watched him 'vomiting and trying to fight'. In July, a passenger contacted Irish Rail to report that a 75-year-old man had exposed himself to a young girl on an afternoon train service. She was 'visibly upset', they said. Similarly, a man on a train heading for Sydney Parade in Dublin last June was reported for 'exposing his d**k', and a man on a train at Booterstown was 'exposing his bare arse to young girls' in January. There were a number of complaints about couples engaging in 'sexually explicit acts' on trains. On October 11, an individual reported that two fellow passengers were 'openly fingering each other and making out'. In August, a troubling text message reported that a child had been sexually assaulted by a group of adolescents on a train early in the evening. The child disembarked at Bayside station, according to the report. Also in August, a passenger was made to feel very uncomfortable by a man who was walking up and down the train dressed as a clown. In March, a man boarded a train to Maynooth with a sword, according to two reports. In late July, a passenger reported that a man and woman were punching each other on board a train, noting that 'she had him in a headlock at one point'. On April 9, a knife fight was reported on the Sligo-Dublin service around 11am, while a man 'slapped' a girl during a 'lovers' quarrel' on the Howth train near Connolly Station in January. There were frequent instances of racist abuse on train services last year. In March, it was reported that two males were racially abusing 'a little boy' on a train, while a woman and her child were the targets of racist abuse near Connollly Station in September. In May, passengers on a train at Howth Junction had a rock thrown through the window, while one commuter reported that a group of 'young lads' had been travelling on the outside of the train before jumping off at Lansdowne Road. A man was reported to have defecated on a train in January and, in an unrelated incident, a passenger discovered 'an actual bag of faeces' in the middle of a carriage in September while travelling to Bray. There were several complaints about the presence of blood on walls, windows and seats on carriages, as well as 'puddles' of vomit on floors, and 'dog poo' on some of the seats. A number of passengers who reported antisocial or criminal behaviour to Irish Rail via the text line said they had to get off the train for their own safety. Reaction Fianna Fáil TD Cormac Devlin described the incidents described in the text messages as 'awful', and said there was a need to expedite plans for public transport policing contained in the Programme for Government. 'What's proposed at this stage is a standalone public transport service. My own preference would be that it would be a unit of An Garda Síochana,' he said. 'This is why we definitely need to have more monitors, more proactive and visible deterrents on public transport – on carriages and platforms. Nobody wants to see these awful elements, particularly for youngsters. We need to ensure they are safe.' A spokesman for Irish Rail said antisocial behaviour was a societal issue to which train services were not immune, but added that there were a range of proactive and preventative measures in place to address it. 'The text line allows people to discreetly alert us to issues of concern, and is live monitored through our central security hub, who are in direct contact with our security teams on the network to co-ordinate response,' he explained. 'The vast majority of 50.1 million journeys on our network take place without incident, but we will continue to prioritise prevention of incidents, and rapid response working with our partners.' Read More Gardaí rostered at Cork hospital due to violence towards staff
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Crampton-built home on secret street at Sydney Parade for €1.395m
Address : 4 Ailesbury Gardens, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Price : €1,395,000 Agent : DNG View this property on On the Sandymount side of the level crossing at Sydney Parade Dart station, this secret street runs parallel to the train line and links to the seafront at Sandymount's Strand Road via St Alban's Park. It is also within a couple of minutes' walk of the Merrion Centre. If you run out of milk, you could put the kettle on and probably be back home before it had boiled. This Dublin 4 road features 1930s Crampton-built homes that come with an unusual added extra: a small plot of land on the far side of the street that abuts the station's granite wall. Number 4 , tucked behind a privet hedge, is a well-maintained four-bedroom house whose entrance is to the side, giving you extra space inside and the full width at the front of this home to inhabit. READ MORE The front door opens into a decent-sized hallway with a nicely proportioned livingroom and a family room immediately on the left and facing out on to the front garden. Some neighbours have opened these two rooms up to create interconnecting spaces. [ Look inside: Superbly designed house and mews with unparalleled views over Killiney Bay for €7.25m Opens in new window ] Livingroom Kitchen and dining area Library Conservatory-diningroom There is a guest WC off the hall and the staircase winds around it. A signature style of homes of this vintage, it means the stairs are visually unobtrusive. The back of the house is where a new owner may look to make some changes. One could, for example, decide to merge the this home's office, conservatory-diningroom and kitchen to take better advantage of the morning sun that streams into the rear of the property. [ Rathmichael home offers rarified retreat in serene, sylvan setting for €3.25m Opens in new window ] The house's dining area opens out to a large garden that extends to about 30m (98ft) in length and is very private. There is scope to extend here subject to the conditions surrounding planning permission governing rear extensions. Bedroom Landing Hall Driveway Rear The detached garage, is set well the back from the house and can also be accessed from the garden. Upstairs there are four bedrooms with a separate WC and bathroom. While many would consider this to be somewhat old-fashioned, it's a practical layout that allows busy morning households to make use of both rooms simultaneously. The property has off-street parking for two cars parked end to end and has a well-planted front garden that gets gorgeous western sun. The semi-d, which extends to a generous 164sq m (1,765sq ft) and has an E2 Ber rating, is seeking €1.395 million through agent DNG. These houses rarely come to market. The last one listed on the property price register was in October 2012, when number 2 sold for €851,000. Now there are two up for sale simultaneously. Three doors up, number 7 Ailesbury Gardens, is on the market through agent Allen & Jacob. It also has four bedrooms, with three bathrooms, and 202sq m (2,174sq ft) of space, and the D2 Ber-rated property is seeking €1.495 million.
Irish Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Gerry Thornley: Remembering my uncle Johnny Hughes - the man I have most admired in my life
A little like Charlie Haughey, I like to lay claim to a number of clubs around the country, but the first game I ever attended was a Clontarf match at Castle Avenue. Indeed, they would have been the first few games I ever witnessed. That was where my love of rugby first started. The reason was entirely due to the Clontarf outhalf being Johnny Hughes, my uncle and, as my dad died when I was young, without doubt the man I have most admired in my life. I wish I had told him that more often, or even at all, as he passed away this week. Maybe the memories are tinged with bias, but in my mind he was an uber cool, stylish outhalf – and that's perhaps because he was un uber cool, stylish man. He very much marched to his own beat, and if memory serves he retired from playing at 29 or 30, which seemed utterly unfathomable to his adoring nephew. Then, Johnny being Johnny, he took to running and seemed to get fitter after he stopped playing. Being the youngest of five to John, from Armagh, and Dympna, from Leitrim, he was the darling of the family, not least to Dympna senior, as well as his siblings, the eldest being my mum Petria. READ MORE One day, after listening to his sister Mary eulogise about Johnny, I overhead Petria say to her: 'Johnny's not perfect you know.' To which Mary responded: 'Well, he is actually.' Truly funny, warm and a pacifist who loved birds, Johnny was also very handsome. There's a black and white picture of him in which he could pass for James Dean. And he aged gracefully and coolly, in a Paul Newman kind of way. His son Aengus, who is also a Clontarf RFC man, is a credit to Johnny and Breda. After retiring, he remained a keen rugby fan; indeed his passion for the game seemed even to grow. If matches were on pay-per-view, he regularly called over to my mum's house to watch each and all of the provinces in action, and any Ireland games that weren't on terrestrial television as well. The successes of the Irish team, especially in latter years, gave him real joy. It's because of the millions like Johnny that the Six Nations should always be on terrestrial television, and why, by contrast, the Champions Cup has lost its reach. Johnny Hughes. Photograph: He always retained his personal perspective on the game, like he did on journalism, politics and pretty much everything else. He was never, ever dull; not for a minute. At extended family gatherings, everybody wanted to chat with Johnny and listen to his articulate and witty take on life. That's probably why John Dinan and his old Clontarf buddies used to always ask about him. So too did journalists as, luckily for me, Johnny was a subeditor for the Irish Independent, Irish Press and, latterly, The Irish Times. When, at the influence of my mum and the help of her cousin Jim Downey, I got my toenail into journalism, my first 'marking' was a 6-all draw between Monkstown and Young Munster in Sydney Parade. I took my notes, raced home and both Johnny and Petria helped me write my two paragraphs before I phoned the report into the Sunday Press. He always remained a sounding board and a wise counsel. Like all of that generation in my family tree, and probably in most others, he was very intelligent and extremely well read, as well as being progressive in his thinking and his politics. Johnny had loads of wise words. In the immediate days after my mum and his eldest sister died, I said to him: 'She was the biggest influence on my life.' To which he said: 'And she always will be'. And so will you Johnny. – A short service celebrating Johnny's life will take place in Glasnevin Crematorium on Saturday afternoon at 1.30.
RTÉ News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Railway out for revenge v Bohs in Women's AIL final
If Sunday's Women's All-Ireland League final even serves up half the points tally of last year's decider, it'll prove decent value for money. For the second year in a row, UL Bohemians and Railway Union will face off in the women's AIL showpiece (Sunday, 1.30pm). The pair served up 14 tries and 86 points in the 2024 decider, as Bohs eventually came out on top 48-38 to win a record 14th AIL title, and their first since 2018. While the finalists are evenly matched, and there is a competitive group behind in Blackrock, Old Belvedere and Wicklow, there will need to be some reflection among IRFU chiefs about the current state of the women's senior club scene. The expanded Celtic Challenge, and centralisation of so many contracted players to Dublin clubs has seen a two-tier league emerge, with huge scorelines, and multiple walkovers given across the season. Suttonians, Cooke and Galwegians were all docked points for conceding games, while Railway, who finished top of the regular season standings with 18 wins from 18, scored 971 points and conceded just 100. What should have been a season to remember for Tullow in their debut AIL campaign turned into one they would like to forget, as they found the going tough in senior rugby, finishing without a point, conceding just under 1,000 points along the way. With the way the professional game is going, a major change is needed to prevent the league descend into irrelevance. Last year, it was seen as a big step to play the women's final at the Aviva as part of a double-header with the men, but that will look like an empty gesture if the competition is allowed to fall into disrepair. The wider picture will be of no concern to whoever is lifting the trophy on Sunday evening, however. This will be a fifth final in a row for the 2019 and 2022 champions Railway, who are under a new head coach this season after Mike South stepped in for John Cronin this year. Captained by centre Niamh Byrne, the side are powered by former Ireland international prop Lindsay Peat, who is doubling up as number 8 and assistant coach this season. Even at the age of 44, Peat has scored a joint-high 23 tries this season. With Railway carrying a 100% record through the regular season, Bohs weren't far behind them. Fiona Hayes side were a clear second in the table, winning 16 games, losing narrowly, 19-18 and 17-10, to their final opponents. Both sides have hit the 100 point mark in a single game this season, but their semi-final wins were much closer; Railway defeating Old Belvedere 37-24 at Sydney Parade, while Bohs edged Blackrock in a 15-12 arm-wrestle. "Two contrasting sides, very much so," Hannah O'Connor said of the finalists this week. The former Ireland and Leinster second/back row was part of the Blackrock side that lifted the title in 2023, and captained the squad this season. And she told the RTE Rugby podcast that one of Bohs' biggest weapons is their cohesion. "We came out of the blocks fast and were off to a good start, but you come up against a UL Bohs side who are very used to playing together, a lot of them play together for Munster as well. "They invest the same style of play, that front-ball rugby with big carriers and they have pacy backs outside, getting the ball to the likes of Chisom Ugweuru and Clara Barrett and a few others, they have pace out wide. "They're well-used tactically to playing with each other. They do it really well and it's shown in those 16 matches they've won, and the semi-final they won against us. "I think Railway, on the other hand, like to play a fast ball, not a fan of much setpiece. They have good strength in the scrum, and the height of Aoife McDermott at the lineout, but they tend to want to play ball. They want to play ball quickly and they want to stretch you. "They want to use the pace and the ballers they have, to play it almost like a sevens game at times where they keep that ball moving. They love a quick-tap penalty, so it's two contrasting sides." Saturday's Guinness Women's Six Nations finale against Scotland will have an impact on both sides this week. Claire Boles, who came off the bench for Railway in their semi-final win, is among the subs for Ireland this weekend, while Bohs have been hit even harder, with Aoife Corey starting for Ireland, and Jane Clohessy a replacement in Edinburgh this weekend. While Bohs came out on top last year, O'Connor believes Railway have added to their game in 2025, and she expects the hurt from two final defeats in a row to drive them on to their third All-Ireland title. "Last year it was a bananas game in the Aviva, where in the end UL Bohs stuck to their system and patterns and Railway fell away from what was working for them and Railway were left chasing a game that got out of their reach. "My head is saying, based on how Railway have played and the players they have got back in, and the experience they have in the spine of their team. Ultimately their pace might be able to have the upper hand on Bohs on the day. "But we saw it last year, they started off that way and fell away from it. "The benefit of last year and what they didn't achieve last year will probably stand to them, and that bittersweet feeling they were left with. They won't want to feel that again." Watch a URC double-header, Scarlets v Leinster and Ulster v Sharks, on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
