Tourists ‘terrorised’ and one business forced to move operations in Kilkenny

One water-activity business in Kilkenny City was recently forced to relocate operations due to ongoing interference from young troublemakers, the Kilkenny People has learned.

The business owner, who wishes to remain unidentified, is calling for more to be done to tackle the ongoing anti-social behaviour on the riverfront in Kilkenny City.

Civil Defence go from strength to strength here in Kilkenny

Other water-activity businesses on the river continue to operate.

The update comes after last week’s Kilkenny People article where the behaviour of a small contingent of people who jump into the river, primarily at John’s Bridge, was highlighted.

The anti-social element of a minority of those who opt to jump into the river has been an issue since at least last year, when local councillor Andrew McGuinness said that he witnessed it firsthand.

“Youngsters were jumping off John’s Bridge straight into the line of the boat tours and other operators on the Nore,” he said.

“I was sent videos from passersby of youngsters swimming after tourists and terrorising them, shouting obscenities at the tourists on the boat trips and generally running riot as some fantastic local businesses tried to go about their day and tend to their customers.”

Cllr McGuinness said that he complained to gardaí at the time and that, to their credit, they came down and moved the youngsters on numerous times ‘but they continued to come back when the guards were gone’.

“It’s not fair on those local businesses that have invested money and created employment,” he said.

“It’s horrible for visitors to Kilkenny to witness this and leave with a bad impression of our city and its dangerous for the youngsters jumping off the bridge and the people in the boats beneath them.

“For years we have all seen young people jumping off John’s Bridge in the summer time.

“Thankfully we have never seen an accident but the behaviour I witnessed, the videos I was sent and what those visitors and business operators had to endure was appalling.”