Campervan attacked in Kilkee while we slept.

connemaragerry

At 1.55 am on the morning of June 30th 2018 while my wife and myself with our 12 year old son and his 12 year old mate slept in a parking area outside the Waterfront building in Kilkee Co. Clare, we were abruptly awoken by someone shouting and kicking our campervan. I jumped out of bed and peeped over the silver screen blind of my camper window and saw a young man about 20 years old walk back to a black Ford Focus and get into the passenger side of the vehicle. Himself and the driver was laughing loudly. He then got out again and taking a football from the vehicle he kicked it very hard against our campervan. Laughing loudly he proceeded to kick our camper again and threw a bottle at the front of it. My wife at this time was calling the Gardai. The lady on the other end of the phone told me not to get out of the campervan and that the Gardai were on the way. After kicking our camper a few more times the black Focus began to drive off. As it passed to the front of our van the same idiot got out again and kicked the front of our van again and kicked the passenger door mirror very hard. They then drove off laughing loudly. The whole incident lasted around 12 minutes or so. Gardai arrived around 10 minutes later and took details from us and another man who was around at the time and he was security for the area due to the triathlon that was taking place that weekend. We also gave the gardai the registration number of the Focus. The garda was very nice to us and is investigating. I can't believe this happened to us as there were 2 other campervans beside us that weren't touched. Our 2 kids were very frightened and my son's friend won't come with us anymore. We have used this parking area for several years as it's beside the beach and our kids like it. We never had any problems before this. It terrible to see our young country men acting like this and even more upsetting to discover they were local. Obviously they were high on alcohol or something else. When daylight came I observed our front drivers headlamp was damaged but the rest of the van including the door mirror was undamaged as the mirror had sprung back and didn't break. I am angry that this could happen in a lovely town like Kilkee. This behaviour shouldn't be tolerated. Gerry.

landmarkjohn

Outrageous. Sorry to hear that. We have had a slap on the side of the van whilst parked in Westport but it was more a of drunk walk home, one slap, guffaw, keep going type of thing so I didn't feel the need to object. You attack was a different matter entirely.

bridster007

Shocking incident but it is more surprising that it doesn't happen more often. Most towns in this country are pretty dangerous places to be at 2am. There are campsites in Kilkee. Allowing 2 12 yr olds to experience that is irresponsible.

_Brian

We’re caravan owners but I can’t see the attraction of stopping in carparks and streets.
My daughter stayed with her friend and her mother in a camper in Bangor and had similar experience, she wouldn’t do it again.

We stick to good campsites and never have anything but positive experiences.

It’s sad it’s like that but as ever a few louts spoil things. I don’t think I could have stayed in the van.

SterlingArcher

bridster007 wrote: »

Shocking incident but it is more surprising that it doesn't happen more often. Most towns in this country are pretty dangerous places to be at 2am. There are campsites in Kilkee. Allowing 2 12 yr olds to experience that is irresponsible.

Hahaha. Op ignore that. This person mailed this from their padded cell, it took them all night as the reception is poo. But they are nice and safe inside there from the world and themselves.

Vivienne23

We had an incident in lisdoonvarna a few years ago where we were scared ****less 2 lads going around the car park robbing cars we called the guards and drove off much to the thieves dismay,

It almost turned us off motor homing for good , we have spent 1 night in a car park since and never again , we were half the night looking out the window , no point heading away to relax while waiting for something to happen book into a campsite and sleep like a baby

It's hard to believe the country has gone like this but unfortunately nowhere is safe anymore

landmarkjohn

Note to self: Pack a bat! I think you would be well within your rights to protect your family if you felt endangered in this situation.

Seriously if you are out of the way and not causing an obstruction you shouldn't expect this. I must admit mentally I divide the country i.e. I wouldn't be keen on wild camping up North after that serious attack on a couple many years ago but in the south and west I would not be too worried.

MojoMaker

Were you in the Adria with the road bikes on the rear rack? I was admiring that parked around the corner from the Stella Maris hotel.

Been going to Kilkee for the annual triathlon for 5 years now and to be honest I reckon this year will probably be the last, Kilkee has become a bit of a dump around the town itself - still nice in the environs and around the Loop head trail but the town itself I could take it or leave it.

That murder a while back didn't surprise me much, just another product of violence become too commonplace.

yourdeadwright

landmarkjohn wrote: »

Note to self: Pack a bat! I think you would be well within your rights to protect your family if you felt endangered in this situation.

Seriously if you are out of the way and not causing an obstruction you shouldn't expect this. I must admit mentally I divide the country i.e. I wouldn't be keen on wild camping up North after that serious attack on a couple many years ago but in the south and west I would not be too worried.

Having a bat is all well and good to protect your family in that moment, but the issue is if they then come back with more people,
I would advise anyone who confronts people like this and gives them a clatter or has an altercation , That the move on from the spot ,
I know you have every right to protect your family but you got to think that if they come back later that night with friends things could go very bad for yourself and your family,
Some times forgetting about your pride for your family's safety is best,

autumnalcore

Sorry to hear. Don't let the scumbags win though. My wife and I have been wild camping our whole lives and never anything more than a drunk slapping the side of the van saying wake up knackers :rolleyes: We did move in the night once near Ballina when the local racerboys started doing donuts in the next carpark.

My friend wildcamps in a lot of urban areas used to keep a hatchet in case he needed to chop wood in the middle of the night

Now he's got a blinding blue 700lm LED torch it puts out plenty of UV and one flash of that and you won't be seeing anything for a couple of minutes.

I have a 150db stebel air horn and panic button but have never had to use it.

peasant

Can we please stop discussing weaponry?

Thank you

Benbecul97

Not my idea of camping if you have to carry any of that arsenal to feel safe!
Any time you wild camp you are leaving yourself open to potential trouble...it's not that it's right, it's just a fact.

Doctors room ghost

Don’t take it personal op.its just pond scum acting like pond scum.they had probably spent the week in bed unemployed and just needed to exercise a bit.ignore them

niloc1951

This type of action is usually the result of boneheads taking on board the anti motorhome rhetoric spewed from some public representatives and media coverage which give space to it.

History shows only too well that there are those who are too ready to attack physically those attacked verbally by those in public office.

Gregor Samsa

niloc1951 wrote: »

This type of action is usually the result of boneheads taking on board the anti motorhome rhetoric spewed from some public representatives and media coverage which give space to it.

I wouldn't read that much into it. The type of moron who kicks and bangs on a motorhome in the middle of the night for the laugh wouldn't have any idea who or what a public representative is, or what they say. Idiots do idiotic things, without much encouragement. Always have, always will.

OP, sorry you had this bad experience. Never nice to have your peace and quiet violated like that.

niloc1951

phutyle wrote: »

I wouldn't read that much into it. The type of moron who kicks and bangs on a motorhome in the middle of the night for the laugh wouldn't have any idea who or what a public representative is, or what they say. Idiots do idiotic things, without much encouragement. Always have, always will.

OP, sorry you had this bad experience. Never nice to have your peace and quiet violated like that.

Obviously a far more serious event, but history is full of foul rhetoric from public representatives enabling boneheads to commit foul deeds. http://www.thejournal.ie/fire-house-ballyshannon-county-council-792065-Feb2013/
The recent killing of journalists Vs. Trumps assertion that the press is the enemy of the people.
Murder of MP Jo Cox by an individual wound up by neo-Nazi's

Make no mistake, the kind of people who attacked connemaragerry would be just the type to be influenced by anti motorhome rhetoric and feel they were doing a job on behalf of those who influenced them.
There are plenty out there only waiting to be servants of a cause, no matter how misguided.

Ultimate Seduction

Wouldn't it be great if they did it to a motorhome and got their comuppance from a traveller family.

Donegal Overlanding

Terrible behaviour.