The University of Limerick Students Union (ULSU) has issued a warning to students following a number of reported burglaries near the university. The majority of burglaries occurred in housing estates near the campus.
Third-year student Mikey recently experienced a burglary in his house in Castletroy. Mikey left his car keys in a gym bag inside his house and returned home to discover that his car was missing. “Heading into the house I saw the TV was gone and there was shattered glass all over the floor and a breeze block lying on the ground. I ran up to check my room and my laptop was gone and my room was tossed. There was another laptop taken too,” he told An Focal. “I will never forget the feeling in my stomach when I saw my car was gone.”
ULSU Welfare Officer Roberta Harrington has encouraged students to take precautionary measures to prevent burglaries from occurring. “Lock all doors and windows when leaving your home or when going to bed. Try to assign someone to lock the doors when leaving for a night out. Start a ‘Door Locking Rota’ if you need to,” she suggested. Harrington also advised students not to let any strangers into their houses and to keep valuables out of sight. “Ensure any unattended area in the home is secured, even while the house is occupied,” she added.
An Garda Síochána provided additional safety awareness tips in their ‘Summer Burglary Prevention Advice’ flyer which include keeping keys away from windows and post-boxes and ensuring that houses are well-lit.
If you experience a burglary report it to Gardaí immediately by dialing 999 or 112. You can also call Henry Street Garda station on 061212400.
Siobhan Macloingsigh
Molly Cantwell 
Daragh De Klein