Clare Fianna Fáil TD, Cathal Crowe, says Clare County Council may need to intervene to protect the historic Clareabbey site after the Office of Public Works (OPW) again ruled out installing CCTV cameras at Clareabbey, near Clarecastle, to deter anti-social behaviour.
The 12th century Abbey is the location of frequent anti-social behaviour and illegal dumping, and several tombstones have been smashed on a number of occasions in recent years.
Deputy Crowe once again called for the installation of cameras at the site following a recent meeting at Clareabbey with a delegation from Clarecastle Tidy Towns and other local community activists, where the number of instances of anti-social behaviour was highlighted.
In response to a parliamentary question Deputy Crowe raised on the matter, Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Jack Chambers, explained that there are a number of obstacles preventing the OPW from installing CCTV cameras at the site, saying: “OPW does not have the capacity, currently, to monitor CCTV in real-time at National Monuments or provide an immediate response if something is picked up by a camera.
The response continued: “The State does not own any land outside the Abbey Walls so cannot install a camera pole on land which is not in ownership. It is considered that there are significant archaeological considerations that would need to be addressed before OPW would be permitted to install cameras on the walls of the Abbey or indeed in the area of where there are burials. Any project would require the agreement and Ministerial Consent of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage as appropriate to proceed.
“While there are wireless and solar cameras available, such cameras are of a low resolution and may not be adequate to clearly identify people if the need arose. Wireless cameras operate over the mobile phone network which would pose issues of security. There are no power or other services available on site. While the issue of broadband could be dealt with wirelessly, underground ducting to provide power would need to be installed and this would involve crossing third party property. There are challenges associated with introducing a supply to the site given that the nearest electricity source is approximately a kilometre away.”
Expressing his frustration with the OPW’s response, Deputy Crowe says the local authority may now need to step in to protect the site. According to Deputy Crowe: “I’m very disappointed that the OPW has ruled out the possibility of installing CCTV cameras at Clareabbey.
“This is a majestic and very historical monastic site in County Clare and if it’s not protected properly, it is at great risk of being further vandalised.
“Over the last number of years, there’s been a number of incidents of vandalism within the Abbey site and several family gravestones have been smashed to pieces. Following these instances, beer bottles and drug paraphernalia has been seen around the Abbey.
“When I met volunteers from Clarecastle Tidy Towns at the site recently, they told me how frequently clean-ups are required at the site due to dumping of household waste, which remains a pressing issue.
“Owing to its remote location, adjacent to the River Fergus and far removed from the residential settlements of Clarecastle, it is quite difficult for anybody to have oversight of the Abbey and therefore the Clarecastle Tidy Towns group have long been of the view that CCTV cameras are required.
“I share this view and have been over and back with the Office of Public Works for quite some time hoping to have these installations approved.
“I’m not happy with the OPW’s stance on this and I hope, working in conjunction with Councillors from the Ennis area, Clare County Council may be able to assist in terms of monitoring the access road to the Abbey.
“I have always taken a keen interest in history, and I find it disgusting and indeed sacrilegious that someone could be so ill minded as to desecrate graves within the historic Clareabbey site.
“The installation of cameras wouldn’t, in my opinion, have cost a huge amount of money and I have seen first-hand, on my farm, how effective wireless sim card powered cameras can be.
“I think the response from the OPW doesn’t do enough to protect Clareabbey and other actions, including the involvement of Clare County Council, must now be explored.”