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The slide in the playground at Fermoy Town Park which was covered in human faeces in a deplorable act which ruined one local family’s outing on Tuesday. Photo: Ellen Lynch

What was to be a pleasant outing to the playground in the town park in Fermoy ended in horror for local man Patrick Hanlon and his two young children on Tuesday.

Patrick, from the Pike Road in Fermoy but now living in Clondulane, brought his three-year-old daughter and seven-month old son to the park as a treat at around noon on Tuesday. After his little daughter played on all of the playground equipment he decided to take her for a go on the big slide. She climbed ahead of him and he became concerned when she became distressed and began to cry.

To his disgust and horror, he found her covered in human faeces that had been smeared all along the slide. He himself was also covered as he went to take her down. He told The Avondhu that he was in no doubt but that it was human, rather than animal faeces.

So awful was their condition that he went immediately to the leisure centre when staff kindly allowed him to use their facilities to wash himself and his little girl. They even lent him some fresh clothes for his daughter. "I must say the staff, a young fella and girl, were absolutely excellent, they couldn't do enough for us," Patrick said.

He was revolted by what was done in a children's playground. "I was born and reared here. I don't know what this town is coming to," he said, in anger and horror at those responsible.

He went straight to the town hall to report the matter so that it could be cleaned up, though he said he felt sorry for the staff that such an unpleasant task fell to. He met with town clerk Pauline Moriarity who said she was 'horrified' to hear of the incident.

"Mr Hanlon complimented the staff of the swimming pool who helped them get cleaned up and the outdoor staff went straight over to power hose the area," she confirmed.

Mayor Olive Corcoran, who chairs the town park sub-committee of the town council, thought it likely the vile act was carried out the night before. The bye-laws say no-one should be in the park after 10pm she pointed out.

"It's just a pity a few ruin things for everybody. It's absolutely appalling," she said. She intends calling for CCTV to be installed in the park.

Cllr Noel Barnes, who is also on the parks committee, agreed: "It's disgusting. It's hard to police it. The new bye-laws may help. We may have to go down the road of CCTV," he said.

Cllr Noel McCarthy said he too was horrified and disgusted to hear of the incident. "It's hard to comprehend the mindset of someone capable of such vile action, especially as they would well know the playground equipment is used by children. They created a serious health hazard. Whether it was one person or more responsible, it is despicable and inexcusable."

He said the new-byelaws for the park are currently out for public consultation but he doubted they'd make any difference in stopping an incident so awful. "What we need is CCTV there," he insisted. He also said the person or persons responsible, if found, should be 'named and shamed.'

Patrick Hanlon said he wanted to highlight the matter in the public interest and from a parent's perspective, so that other parents would be mindful in the future when their children are using playground equipment.

Funding has been sanctioned for a new playground for the park and work is expected to commence on its installation in January.

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