Community ‘reeling’ after 40 trees damaged in Dodder Valley Park
THE community is “reeling, devastated and bewildered” after 40 trees were vandalised over the weekend in Dodder Valley Park.
South Dublin County Council has also expressed “extreme disappointment” at the vandalism, which saw around 20 in-bloom cherry blossoms sawn clean through and a number of saplings snapped.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, local councillor Alan Edge spoke of the disappointment being felt right across the community.
Having attended the scene over the weekend, Cllr Edge described the incident as “really savage” and “quite deliberate”.
It is believed that a charged-up electric saw was used to cut down the cherry blossoms while the saplings were snapped in two.
“It’s bizarre that somebody would go to such lengths”, Cllr Edge told Morning Ireland.
Cllr Edge in Dodder Valley Park over the weekend
“I was in touch with senior public realm staff out-of-hours over the weekend and they were really, really saddened by it.
“The thing about Dodder Valley Park is that it’s a fantastic collaboration, the council has put huge investment in but the community has as well.
“Everybody has been left reeling, really devastated and just bewildered.”
It is believed an electric saw was used (Image: Cllr Alan Edge)
It is believed the incident happened between Friday night and the early hours of Saturday morning – with anybody with information encouraged to come forward.
When contacted by The Echo, South Dublin County Council expressed “extreme disappointment at the act of vandalism which resulted in the illegal cutting down of a number of trees within Dodder Valley Park”.
A spokesperson said: “The council is evaluating the scale of the damage, and the incident is under investigation by An Garda Síochána.
“We urge members of the public to come forward with any information they may have regarding this incident and to report such information to the gardai.
“Once a comprehensive assessment of the damage has been completed, we will issue a further statement detailing our response and plans for restoration.”
