Family targeted in arson attacks will not bow down

The Athlone family at the centre of what local Gardai are treating as suspected arson have said they will “not bow” to intimidation and threats and are determined to unmask the culprits behind a string of fires which have caused what is estimated to be in excess of half a million euros worth of damage to their equestrian business.

“Whoever is behind these fires is clearly trying to scare and intimidate us, but we will not bow to it,” said a defiant Jennifer McGuire, partner of Jim Derwin, whose equestrian business at The Derries in Athlone has been targeted in three separate suspected arson attacks since July.

A fourth fire which broke out at around 5.45am on Friday morning last, September 16, at a yard in Fardrum which is owned by Jim Derwin's brother, Francis, is also being treated by investigating Gardai as “a criminal act of arson” and a spokesperson said they are looking into the connection between this latest incident and the previous fires at Jim Derwin Equestrian. It took fire crews from Athlone, Ferbane, and a water tanker from Mullingar several hours to bring the fire in Fardrum under control, during which a haybarn and up to 400 bales of hay were completely destroyed.

In an interview with the Westmeath Independent this week, Jennifer McGuire said the family has had to increase security around the business in the Derries and members are also looking at increasing their personal security as a result of the repeated incidents of suspected arson.

“The people who are targeting our business clearly have no regard whatsoever for either persons or property,” she said, pointing out that, in an incident on July 11 last, they lit a fire in a shed that housed two horses, but luckily the animals were brought to safety.

In a lengthy Facebook post, on September 13, Jim Derwin outlined the sequence of events which has resulted in three separate fires at his yard, on July 10 and 11 and August 20, and issued an appeal for anyone with any information, or who noticed anything suspicious around the Dublin Road area of Athlone on any of those dates, to contact local gardai. Jennifer repeated the appeal for information this week and said, due to the location of the equestrian business, people living on “all approach roads to Athlone town” need to jog their memories in relation to anything suspicious on the dates in question. “The person who set these fires was not acting alone, so if anyone noticed people on foot, or a suspicious vehicle, in the area on either July 10 or 11, or on August 20, we would earnestly appeal to them to come forward,” she said.

As a result of the repeated incidents at their business, Jennifer McGuire admits that they are “very anxious” and concedes that it is “a horrible way to live” but they are adamant that they will not allow anyone to destroy the successful equestrian business which was first started by Jim’s father.

“When threats are put on your life and the life of your family, of course you are going to be very anxious, but we are not going to let this stop us from running our business,” stated Jennifer, who along with Jim Derwin, has four children - ranging in age from 13 years to just 18 months. When asked if she has any idea as to who is targeting their business, she said she would leave the investigation in the hands of the Gardai. However, she added that the business does not owe any money to anybody, and has never had “a falling out” with anyone in the past.

The Facebook post on the Jim Derwin Equestrian page has been shared over 1.4k times since it was first posted on September 13 and has garnered 2k reactions. Jennifer McGuire said the family decided to outline the sequence of events that have threatened to destroy their business on social media in an effort to “advance the garda investigation” and bring the culprits to justice.

In another post on Sunday last, the family thanked members of the public for the more than 400 messages of support they have received on their Facebook post, and outlined the latest incident of suspected arson in the yard of Jim Derwin’s brother, Francis, in Fardrum. They again appealed for anyone with any information to contact local Gardai.

Jennifer McGuire said gardai are continuing to investigate all aspects of the investigation into the fires at their equestrian business. She says that, despite the fact that the person who entered their yard on three separate occasions to set fire is “clearly visible on our CCTV” it has not been possible to positively identify that person as of yet.

“We are hopeful that the culprit or culprits can be brought to justice, but we need the assistance of the public,” she says, while once again appealing to anyone who may have noticed anyone acting suspiciously, or any suspicious vehicles in the vicinity of Jim Derwin Equestrian or at Francis Derwin’s yard in Fardrum on the dates in question to come forward to Gardai at 090 6492600 with any information.