“Senseless” vandalism of Sheriff YC pitches criticised

Northside football club Sheriff Youth Club have called for an end to the vandalism of their pitches.

In recent months, their pitches have been wrecked after vehicles were driven onto the pitches.

In January, the pitches were heavily damaged after someone drove a car onto the pitches, leaving deep tyre tracks.

The most recent incident involved motorbikes being driven onto the pitch.

The incident, which took place in the early hours of February 10, marks the third time in four months that the pitches have been damaged intentionally.

It is understood that two motorbikes, which have since been removed by Gardaí, gained entry to the park through pedestrian and bicycle entrances.

The club, which plays their games in Fairview, have appealed to people to stop vandalising their pitches.

“The place is absolutely wrecked, this is the third time in four months that a pitch we use has been left unplayable.”

“How could anyone think that it’s ok to absolutely upend a kid’s football pitch and leave the kids with nowhere to play?”

The club said “we are asking that these people please stop and think before bringing a motorbike into the park; look at the damage you’ve done.”

While the club acknowledged that Dublin City Council have put up new park surroundings in place to stop people from breaking in, the frequency of such incidents has increased in recent weeks.

The nearby Alfie Byrne Park has been proposed as a solution to the problems, but the club stated after the January incident that the park is “off the table for the foreseeable future after the damage done there from the Clontarf half marathon.”

The club said that the recent incursions are a prime example of why the proposed development of the all-weather pitches at Alfie Byrne Park should be made a priority.

Club chairman Hugh Richardson told RTÉ “it has happened two to three times in the last couple of months, but six or seven times in the last year; all football has stopped.”

“The cycle lanes and paths were leaving it wide open and vehicles can still get in near the bridge,” he explained, and called for a solution to the problem.

Club secretary Stephen Dunleavy said “the feedback we are getting from volunteers is ‘what is the point?'”

“We are having to call off games, kids are getting disillusioned and they are asking why don’t they have a game this weekend.”

Dublin City Council confirmed they are working with the club and An Garda Síochána to prevent further incidents.

An alternative pitch at Belcamp has been offered to the club.

“Unfortunately, Fairview Park has suffered a couple of such incidents in recent weeks,” a spokesperson for Dublin City Council said.

“The first incident involved a stolen car which gained access to the park through an opening which arose from the Clontarf to city centre cycle and bus priority project.”

“It is unfortunate that there has been another incident which has impacted on the pitches in Fairview Park but the city council is working with the Gardaí and the clubs to address the problem insofar as a public park can be protected from stolen motorbikes.”

The continued vandalism of the pitches has drawn sharp criticism from local elected representatives.

Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam called the vandalism “senseless and idiotic.”

“The boys and girls, their coaches and everyone associated with the club do not deserve this.”

“This is offensive, idiotic, mind-numbingly stupid behaviour by a small cohort of people.”

McAdam said while restricting and hampering access to people on motorbikes was important, it also had to be balanced with the needs of families with prams who also want to access the park.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the vandalism was “terrible,” and that “such a great club with great mentors and young people have been left devastated” while saying the development of Alfie Byrne Park now has a sense of “real urgency.”

Labour Senator Marie Sherlock said “I hate having to argue for open places to be locked up and secured, but this is heartbreaking. Kids and young adults are the ones who lose out because of this.”

Daniel Ennis, vice-chairperson of the nearby East Wall Bessborough Football Club, said the recent incidents are “unbelievable”.

“We need to upgrade these playing spaces if we are to safeguard them for future use,” he said.

“We cannot police our way out of this; we need to close off these pitches that have been frequently used by these sports clubs for decades now; they deserve better,” he told the Irish Independent.