BAD PRESS ANGERS STAG PARK RESIDENTS
Stag Park, Mitchelstown residents in Mitchelstown are not happy with the bad press their housing estate has received over the past months and they blame the chairman of the residents' association, Timmy ‘Rancher’ White, writes Brian Moore.
Declan Murphy who has lived in Stag Park for over two years told The Avondhu, “When I read some of the articles in the press over the past few months about Stag Park I felt I had to say something. I have lived in Stag Park for over two years and I have yet to encounter any problems.
"I have really good neighbours and we feel that our homes, our area and indeed our children are suffering. I know that there are people in the Stag Park estate that are causing problems. I also know personally people who are looking for a house but because of all the bad press would not want to live in Stag Park and this is wrong.”
Reports of antisocial behaviour and vandalism have been made to the council and the gardai over the last few months.
“Our children are asked if Stag Park is really as bad as is reported and some of their friends have been stopped from coming to visit my children at our home, “Declan Murphy said.
Mr Murphy also alleges that the chairman of the residents association, Timmy ‘Rancher’ White, is not living in Stag Park.
“How can you be a chairman of the residents and not live in the area. He has a house in Stag Park but he does not live in it, somebody else is living in the house.”
In response, Timmy White told The Avondhu “I am living in 9 Fanahan’s Court, Stag Park. I don’t know who Declan Murphy is but he must be dreaming if he had not seen or heard about what has been going on. The residents don’t want all this bad publicity and that’s why we are highlighting the problems to the council and the gardai so that something can be done. In fact only the other day we arranged for two goal posts with nets to be set up in one of the green areas in Stag Park and within a few hours they were destroyed, this is there for all to see.”
Meanwhile, more residents from Stag Park contacted The Avondhu to report a large amount of animal faece, which was dumped there overnight. They also reported that many of the houses, which are boarded up, have been damaged both inside and out and that they have found empty beer cans and drug paraphernalia dumped in the area.
Michael Cahill, a Stag Park resident said, “We have good people here, the council have given us one of the empty houses for use as a community centre and we are getting ready for this at the moment. The house will have an area for mothers and children, a pool table and video games and Internet access. Most people up here care about their community but we need more people to get involved.”
Published:
Thursday 26th February 6:58pm
