Blacklion digger attack could have resulted in major explosion

Jenny McGovern

Gardaí have stressed that a digger attack on a Blacklion petrol station last night could have caused a serious explosion. The premises which housed a post office, shop and filling station had been trading up until last night, but today the shutters are down and the premises remain closed as the wreckage of last night’s attack is apparent. A hole is gorged out of the wall of the post office, fuel pumps lie buckled over. This morning the ‘Sean Quiggley’ digger which had been stolen from roadworks a short distance away to carry out the attack, remained abandoned in the cordoned off forecourt of the Bloodstone service.
Gardaí told The Anglo-Celt: “At 2.40 am this morning (Thursday, March 6) a Hymac Track machine was taken from roadworks and driven approx 100m to a filling station at Toam, Blacklion it preceeded to demolish part of the front of the building and also three of the petrol pumps at the front were severely damaged.
“It was an act of willfull damage which could have resulted in more serious consequences had the petrol ignited. The gardaí are appealing for information from any person who may have been in the area between 2am-3.30am this morning who noticed any persons or vehicles acting suspicioulsy.”

Extremely fortunate 
Cllr John Paul Feeley told The Anglo-Celt said that it could have been an entirely different story: “It is extremely fortunate that the place didn’t blow up; underneath the petrol pumps there are two 40,000 litre tanks and two 12,000 litre tanks, a considerable amount of fuel. If they were to blow there would have been severe damage to the village of Blacklion. The shop is unusable and the premises will be have to undergo a structural survey to acertain whether it can reopen.”
The post office has relocated the Blacklion service to Glenfarne, approximately five miles away in Leitrim.
Cllr Feeley states: “I’m particularly concered about the reloctaing of the Post Office, it is an essential service in the area and at the present time it is in serious jeopardy.
“People who use the post office tend to be those who are not in a position to travel frequently or easily and they are being inconvienienced. There is also a huge level of inconvenience. In terms of shopping people now can’t go to their local shop, they can shop in Belcoo but of course it’s a different currency.”