Arson Investigation – Athy Co Kildare

The Gardaí at Athy are investigating an arson that occurred in the town on October 7th  2022.The scene of the incident is an industrial unit comprising of several businesses, located on William Street Upper. One such unit which was being rented was used illegally as a recycling center.

At approximately 00.45am a male suspect, emerged from the Grand Canal towpath car park, turning right onto Upper William Street opposite the Auld Shebeen Bar.

The suspect continued walking the short distance down the road towards the padlocked gate of the industrial site. On arrival he crouched down, managed to open the locked gate, crossed the yard and entered the large warehouse, a former grain store.

After a few minutes, smoke and flames emerged from the warehouse and the suspect ran back across the yard and out the gate. It is known that he followed the same route back towards the car park, continued along the tow path in the direction of Rockfield Road.

The fire impacted the owner and the local community of Athy –  it took the fire service (14) days to extinguish the fire, resulting in local residents being warned to keep their windows shut because of environmental concerns.

Description of Suspect:

The suspect is described as a male, wearing all dark clothing and carrying a distinctive red sports bag.

Garda Appeal:

• While a considerable period has passed since this incident, Gardaí are confident that the scale and impact of the fire remain vivid in the memories of the Athy community. Given this fact, and the possibility that relationships and allegiances may have changed since October 2022, we are now renewing our appeal for public assistance.

We are particularly interested in receiving your assistance regarding the following:

• Identity of the Suspect: We are appealing for any information that may lead to the identification of the male described above, seen wearing dark clothing and carrying a red sports bag. Please consider this description in the context of the CCTV footage shown.
• Suspect's Movements and Transportation: Gardaí believe it is possible the suspect may have travelled to Upper William Street from the Rockfield Road area via the canal path. Due to a lack of CCTV coverage in the Rockfield Road area, we are appealing to anyone who may have observed a suspicious vehicle or person in the Rockfield Road area of Athy during the early hours of 7th of October 2022. Did you see a car parked in an unusual location? Did you observe anyone acting suspiciously?
• General Information: Gardaí are urging anyone who has any information that may assist the investigation, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, to come forward.
• This arson incident would undoubtedly have been a topic of discussion within the local and wider community. If you have any information, or if you have heard anything relating to this arson that you believe could be relevant, please contact Gardaí immediately.
• We understand that individuals may have concerns about coming forward. We want to assure the public that any information provided will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and compassion.