Abandoned building on O’Brien Road is absolutely lethal, says councillor

Cllr Walter Lacey inside the derelict building on the O’Brien Road, Carlow
Pic: Michael O’Rourke

AN abandoned and unfinished office block, right beside the Carlow County Enterprise Board, has been called a “death trap” and “absolutely lethal” by cllr Walter Lacey, who discovered a dirty, used syringe in the building.

Cllr Lacey made the shocking discovery after he received a complaint about anti-social activity taking place in the building located off the O’Brien Road in Carlow town. “It’s extremely dangerous,” he continued. “Access is wide open. There are no windows or doors on the building and upstairs there are holes in the floor where there should have been stairs.”

Another danger in the building is an empty liftshaft that’s without any sort of a barrier, while full-length window spaces are completely open.

The graffiti on walls, piles of debris and the used syringe are testament that the office block is a den of anti-social behaviour, leading to concerns over public safety. Outside, the perimeter fence has long been knocked down and so the site is completely accessible to anyone, including children.

Cllr Lacey also pointed out that after dark the unfinished office block is “pitch black” and that “a building like that would attract not only anti-social behaviour but also young people, too”.

He said that he brought the issue to the attention of town clerk Michael Brennan and he is currently trying to track down the owner of the abandoned site. He added that it was imperative that the owners of the site “secure the building” and “make it safe before someone is either hurt or killed”.

“Kids can get into it and someone is going to get hurt,” cllr Lacey continued. “The building is a deathtrap.”