Rail Damage | 

Elderly couple living in fear as youths launch rocks at their home from rail tracks

Around 50 residential homes line the same road, and Mr Redmond said others have also suffered damage to their car or home windows due to this behaviour.

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A distressed elderly couple, whose home backs on to the main freight line leading to Dublin Port in East Wall, are calling for action following multiple incidents of property damage.

Barry Redmond, the son of Lar and Lil Redmond, both in their 80s, said youths have been accessing the train tracks in the depot area and “firing rocks” randomly over the railway wall into the West Road area.

“My mother’s windows have been smashed three times, twice in February and in the latest incident last Saturday,” he said.

Around 50 residential homes line the same road, and Mr Redmond said others have also suffered damage to their car or home windows due to this behaviour.

The first incident saw his mother narrowly avoid being hit by one of these rocks, which are roughly the size of a hand.

“If one of those rocks hit you on the head from that height, you wouldn’t be going to the hospital; you’d be going to the morgue,” Barry said.

The residents recall one incident, at 10pm on a Friday night, where roughly 20 rocks were launched at their home. Windows that had recently been repaired were smashed again, leaving them with repair costs of up to €1,300.

“Imagine two elderly people in their home suddenly feeling it’s under attack, not knowing if it’s a break-in or what. They’re quite distressed,” he added.

He described the area where young people gather as “derelict”, attributing this behaviour to the lack of recreational or green spaces available in the area.

They reported the incidents to gardaí who, while sympathetic, said the land is owned by Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) and wouldn’t necessarily be under their jurisdiction unless those involved were caught in the act.

After approaching CIÉ, they received a visit from a member of staff on crime prevention, but have heard nothing since.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, who visited the home of the elderly residents, said: “We should not underestimate the seriousness of this.

“Rocks of that size could kill a person, and CIÉ is failing in its duty to be responsible neighbours by not securing their land. This is unacceptable.

“The gardaí and CIÉ need to work together to stamp this out immediately before someone is hurt.”

Local election candidate and East Wall resident Daniel Ennis also visited the residents.

“We need to push Irish Rail, the council, the gardaí, and the owners of these pieces of derelict land, which have been idle for too long, to redesign and rework them or at the very least, secure and manage them better,” he said.

“The gates are rarely locked, providing easy access to the land and train tracks from where bricks are being thrown at nearby houses.

“Residents along Hawthorn Terrace and West Road are really frightened. They won’t even go out into their back gardens as they face onto the tracks where the bricks are coming from, fearing getting hit by one.”

He added that a taxi driver living along the road had his roof and windscreen smashed in by these rocks.

An Garda Síochána and CIÉ have been contacted for comment.