Scenes of chaos at Kilkenny city site: machinery set ablaze, JCB’s windows smashed

By COLIN BARTLEY

GARDAI are investigating two serious attacks on a construction site in Kilkenny city in which machinery was set alight and a JCB had its windows smashed in.

The incidents took place on consecutive nights at the works of the new Western Ring Road extension at Poulgour, close to the Callan Road exit.

A drilling rig was set alight in the first incident which occurred between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. The culprits brought the base of a bed onto the site, placed it under a rig used for testing the ground, doused the base in diesel and set it alight.

The fire was eventually extinguished, but not before causing extensive damage to the machinery.

The vandals struck again between 5pm the same evening and 8am on Thursday.

A JCB digger, which had been parked up in the construction site, was targetted and four windows were smashed.

Gardai have urged any witnesses or anyone with information about the attacks to contact Kilkenny Garda Station on 056 777 5000.