Seven premises hit in night of destruction

Damian McCarney

Business owners the length of Cavan’s main street were left counting the cost after criminals went on a late-night rampage this week, literally leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Seven businesses in total were targeted and the cost will come to tens of thousands of Euro.
Eddie Coleman, who owns Cavan Gifts on Main Street, had his windows put in. Half a brick lay on the carpet by the smashed front door, dappled with shards of glass. Having gained access, the thieves took the contents of his till - not a substantial sum according to Eddie, speaking early Tuesday morning. Whilst he didn’t think any stock was stolen, he had yet to carry out an inventory.
“It was just some clown,” said a remarkably calm Eddie, who was notified that his alarm system had been triggered at about 2.45am. “Hopefully they will be caught.” He estimates that two decades have passed since his last break-in.
“Same type of thing - they broke in the front door. But this time it wasn’t as bad; there wasn’t as much damage caused.”

A ‘disaster’
By following discarded hairclips, low-value coins and smashed appliances, manager of ‘Reflections’ hairdressers, Pauline McGinnity, could track the escape route taken by the fleeing criminals from her salon located next to Arthur’s Bar. They made their way across Main Street, through the alley between Tesco and the White Star, and over to another secluded spot beside the multi-storey carpark.
The thieves somehow prised open the salon’s front door, before rifling through the cash till, emptying collection boxes for St Pio and Barnardo’s, and upending furniture.
“They ripped up the lino, here,” Pauline says, pointing to a corner of shop, which she has run for the last 11 years. “They must have thought there was a safe [under the floor].”
Ultimately, the burglars made off with expensive curling tongs and a number of hairdryers and, bizarrely, the tray from the till. Pauline was eager to take the positives from the incident - there was no money in the till, dyeing products and peroxide were left untouched and crucially her shop window remains in tact.
“I can’t believe this window is not broken,” Pauline told the Celt as she surveyed the scene from outside, waiting for Garda forensic officers to show up.
“It’s been a disaster, but I’d just like to get back into it and clean it up. I’m just grateful that the windows and door haven’t been smashed, because everyone else’s windows and doors are destroyed.”

Other businesses targeted
Connolly’s Pharmacy had two windows damaged, and now match the pane of a vacant premises two doors down, broken a week before.
The nearby Two Euro Shop had a bottom glass panel on the front door damaged; a window on the door on Cut Price was smashed, and the hoods scaled over a picket gate to break the window of nearby Patsy Boyle’s Menswear. Shira’s Jeweller’s, a few doors up from Cavan Gifts has its main showcase window smashed, and finally Slowey’s Hardware Paint and DIY, close to the multi-storey carpark had three large windows smashed.

Appeal
Gardaí in Cavan Town have issued an appeal for witnesses to help with their investigations into criminal damage and burglaries between 2-2.45am. Contact: (049) 4368800.