A ten-year old girl broke down crying in the offices of the Limerick Independent, describing how her life has been a living nightmare for the past two-and-a-half-years at the hands of thugs.

Terrified: Rita McCarthy and her 10-year-old daughter Chantelle.

Chantelle McCarthy (10) and her mother Rita visited the Limerick Independent to say they have had to leave their own home in Salvia Court, Keyes Park, Southill to live with a relative in a three-bedroom house containing ten children and three adults.

“I cry everyday,” Chantelle said while sobbing uncontrollably. “I’m crying because I don’t like it there (Southill),” she added.

The young girl’s mother, Rita, said she was trying to get emergency accommodation through City Hall after her house was attacked again last week after two-and-a-half years of “intimidation” and “hell”.

“Early on Sunday morning they caused €1,400 worth of damage to the house. They threw rocks through the children’s windows. On Saturday a gang of six young and older people came to the house with swords. I don’t have money to buy new windows. I’m living on my nerves now and out of black bags,” Ms McCarthy said.

The mother-of-five said a shed at the back of her home was also recently set on fire, which left her with the impression she would be burned out, so she got her children together and walked out of her own home.

Ms McCarthy said she was a lone parent and was now addicted to sleeping pills because of the constant attacks on her home by gangs in Southill.

“I’m suffering from panic attacks and my kids are scarred for their lives. The Gardai at Roxboro Road have been great, they come out to me, but there is nothing they can do really,” Ms McCarthy said.

Ms McCarthy said she was hoping she would be offered money for her home as part of Limerick’s Regeneration plans to redevelop the Keyes Park area of Limerick.

Labour TD, Jan O’Sullivan said she was taking the McCarthy’s case to City Hall.

“I would urge that they be accommodated as soon as possible. They clearly feel victimised. The Council have indicate to me that they will move people who don’t want to stay in the Regenerated areas,” Deputy O’Sullivan said.

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