As Gardai continue their investigations into last week’s discovery of pipe bombs outside two head shops in Athlone, local public figures have spoken out to condemn the attacks and renew calls for the town’s head shops to be closed down.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from businesses and private residences on Wednesday morning of last week as the Army Bomb Disposal Unit arrived in Athlone to deal with viable bombs planted outside two separate head shops in the centre of the town.
Speaking at this week’s Athlone Area meeting, chairperson of the Athlone Drugs Awareness group, Cllr Frankie Keena, said last week’s incident was a sign that the situation with head shops has “got out of hand”.
“The incident in Athlone last Wednesday was deplorable. It has got out of hand, and it is terrible to see pipe bombs in the town, putting the lives of the public at serious risk.
“Head shops are causing concern for parents, and now there is a criminal element coming into the town. I would ask the council to look again at planning regulations; are these shops working within the regulations?”
Cllr Keena also expressed concern that casual trading by-laws, currently under consideration by the council, may allow for head shops to set up on stalls in the town.
Cllr Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran joined calls for the council to be given powers regarding the type of shops that operate in the town.
Several councillors attended a public meeting on head shops organised by the Athlone Drug Awareness group last Thursday.
“I would like to compliment Cllr Keena and the Athlone Drugs Awareness group on the meeting, which parents found very beneficial. People’s lives are at stake, these shops are dangerous,” said Cllr Gabrielle McFadden.
Meanwhile, one local councillor has said landlords who accept “dirty money” from the people running the head shops should be ashamed, and has taken steps in his own business to make life more difficult for their operators.
Cllr Aengus O’Rourke said this week that locals should do all in their power to rid Athlone of head shops.
“The Government are putting in place legislation to ban the products sold by head shops, however this will take three months to formalise. So, in the meantime every right-minded citizen of this town should pull together and as a society let’s do all we can, within the law obviously, to incapacitate as far as possible the day-to-day functioning of these dirty businesses.
“In my own printing and signage business I have refused to do leaflets, posters, and shop signage for these operators. In fact Snap Printing nationwide has 24 outlets and we have all undertaken to refuse all business from head shops. I believe that if all service providers refuse to deal with them it will have an impact...it may not force them to close but we can make life and business that bit more difficult for them,” he said.
“Furthermore, the property owners, the landlords of these shops, should do what’s right and kick these rogue operators out of their premises. After all, to accept rent from these people is to accept dirty money from people exploiting our young people and those with drug addictions.”
Athlone Gardai are calling on any member of the public with information on last week’s events to contact Athlone Garda Station at (090 ) 6492600, or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.
