A significant increase in reported minor assaults while a smaller hike in reported assaults causing harm were among the headline figures disclosed at the August meeting of Kilkenny’s Local Community Safety Partnership (KLCSP).
The figures, presented by Superintendent Sean O’Meara, are based on operational crime data extracted from An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system, which assist the force’s operational activity and planning.
Focusing on a 12-month window running up to June 30th of this year (the end of Q2 2026), reported incidents of minor assault rose by 27.8% when compared to the corresponding timeframe in the previous 2024-25 window. Reported assaults causing harm rose by 3.9 per cent in the same surveyed period.
During his presentation, Supt O’Meara admitted that the year-on-year increase in minor assaults had caused “some small concern to us”.
He added: “It seems, from our point of view, to be driven mostly by (the) night-time economy and public placed assaults; assaults generally involving alcohol or other substances where people get involved in disagreements and they end up in a minor assault…
“Without casting aspersions on any particular age cohort, it’s generally males, unfortunately, and it’s generally young males who are out for a night out and things get out of hand. We’re just going back to the basic message of: use your brain, not your fists. Think. Plan your way home so that you don’t become the victim of one of these assaults, make sure you’ve got your taxi organised and from the other point of it, go out to enjoy your night, not to ruin your night or anyone else’s night…just calm down and walk away.”
City’s growing popularity
Supt O’Meara told KCLR News that Kilkenny city’s growing popularity as a socialising destination for visitors from across the region as well as tourists, was an overwhelming positive for the city.
“We’ve noticed in recent weeks that there’s been a great increase in the number of people visiting Kilkenny and that has contributed, I suppose, to the increase in those offences,” he said. “But we want people to go out, have a good time and then go home, get up the next morning and say ‘I had a great night’.”
Meanwhile, both aggravated burglary and possession of an article with intent to burgle were reported below double figures while reported residential and non-residential burglaries had declined by 2.3% and 6.1% respectively.
Supt O’Meara said these burglary figures “where we want them to be, really” given the low figures of such reported crimes and were in line with national figures. The same applied when it came to reported thefts from persons.
However, several other theft-related offences had increased in the wake of the more positive figures recorded for the first quarter of the year. These include the theft of other property (15.7%) which Supt O’Meara said “generally does increase at this time of the year; often involving the theft of tools, equipment and items from vehicles and unattended farm yards”.
Poor driver behaviour
The spectre of last Sunday’s horrific crash on the M9 did not escape the meeting’s attention, with Supt O’Meara stating that poor driver behaviour “has to be challenged”. He believes that drivers taking reckless chances behind the wheel “will continue (to do so) until they learn their lesson one way or the other”.
KLCSP Chairperson Councillor Pat Fitzpatrick (FF) acknowledged the efforts of Kilkenny Gardaí in the course of their duties and called on the public to stand full square with the force in maintaining law and order.
“Superintendent O’Meara and Inspector Paul Donohue (of the Waterford and Kilkenny Divisional Roads Unit) have been to the forefront in cracking down on dangerous driving,” he said.
“Our deepest sympathies are extended to those who were injured last Sunday and remain in hospital, along with their loved ones. We can only hope that the injured can and will make full recoveries.
“Driver behaviour is something that we all have to bear in mind when behind the wheel and Gardaí have the difficult task of tackling that type of criminality on our roads. Swifter and stiffer actions against such criminals need to be taken.”
