Serial vandalism at historic Westport House

Serial vandalism at historic Westport House


Áine Ryan

SERIAL acts of vandalism have become a perennial problem for the owners of historic Westport House, it has emerged. Ms Sheelyn Browne told The Mayo News yesterday that the family – despite several calls to the gardaí – was recently forced to remove an abandoned car left by a group of youths on the grounds.
However, she also stressed she understood that the powers of the Garda Síochána were limited and she was not attacking them.
“The problem is that we are treated like a private property when it suits, and like a public property when it suits,” said Ms Browne, one of the co-owners of the historic family-run house and parklands. 
“We keep most of the estate open to the public and the majority of people who visit treat the place with respect. However, a minority can very quickly do a lot of damage,” she also said.
Ms Browne said that on April 30 last a car was nosed through the main gates of the house by another car steered by a group of youths. Some days later a group of youths smashed all the car’s windows with golf clubs.
She said that the gardaí were alerted and had come to the scene on both occasions
Referring to the second incident, she continued: “The guards arrived, the group of six youths had gone into the woods, no doubt to see if they could find something else they could recklessly vandalise.”
Ms Browne claims that she was ultimately told by gardaí that: “They had done all they could do, which was to try and find the owner of the car and that we are a private property so it was out of their hands until the owner came forward. So my question is  – Who is responsible then?”
She expressed concerns that, while such an unsightly mess was not good for Westport’s tourism image, it was also a hazard for young children who could have been easily injured.
Ms Browne also said that some years ago, on the very day a commemorative bench to her late grandfather, Denis Sligo, was put in place it was smashed to pieces. She added that on another occasion the pitch and putt hut was set on fire.  
“These careless, reckless vandals should not be allowed to destroy that and then just walk away leaving their mess for the rest of the world to clean up,” she added.
Speaking to The Mayo News yesterday, Superintendent Pat Doyle said he could not comment in particular about the recent incidents as there was, in fact, a court case pending regarding the matter.