Alley destroyed

Swinford handball alley destroyed by graffiti

Emer Gallagher

THE handball alley in Swinford, which was restored following a tireless fund-raising effort by the local community, has been destroyed by graffiti.
The Paddy Bollinbrooke Handball Alley was covered in obscene graffiti recently, and Deirdre Fahy, PRO of the Swinford Handball Alley, was quick to condemn the offensive slogans, which covered the walls of the alley.
“It’s disgusting, particularly that the memorial plaque was painted over. This alley is named after Paddy Bollingbrooke, a Swinford man who won many titles in Ireland. The lack of respect is disgraceful.
“The damage done here is terrible. They went to the trouble of using gloss paint, which will be very difficult to remove. But we will do whatever it takes to clean it up.
The Swinford Handball Club undertook a massive fund-raising campaign three years ago. We went out night after night raising money for the restoration of the alley. The whole alley had to be plastered to make it playable,” said Deirdre.
The graffiti, which has become an ongoing issue for the successful handball club, is more frequent during the holiday periods such as Christmas, summer and Easter.
The handball club feel that those carrying out the graffiti are picking up tins of paint that are left lying around as some of the work is done with gloss paint. A great deal of effort has gone into destroying the alley with slogans painted on with a brush.
In recent times also the gate leading into the alley has been removed by vandals.
“The club has had great success and the children involved really enjoy the sport and everyone gets very involved in the game. Perhaps there is a hint of jealously creeping in,” added Deirdre.
The Paddy Bollinbrooke Handball Alley cannot be locked due to insurance reasons and, ironically, should any of the perpetrators of the graffiti fall in the alley, the club can be deemed responsible.