Trashed house linked to student party ‘damages our reputation’, University of Limerick says

The interim provost of the University of Limerick (UL) has written to students lamenting the reputational damage to the college after a break-in and serious criminal damage to a house was linked to a student party.Gardaí are investigating the incident at a refurbished vacant house in College Court in the heartland of the university’s off-campus accommodation in the early hours of Wednesday.Videos showing young people running amok in the house were shared on social media. Walls and ceilings were knocked through and fixtures and fittings were torn down.One video showed young people throwing a shelving unit through a window. The video showed a group screaming and laughing as more damage was caused to the property.READ MOREA spokeswoman at UL said on Thursday the identities of those involved in the incident had not been established.However, Ann Ledwith, who is deputy president and interim provost, wrote to students on Thursday and said she was “deeply concerned” at the incident.She said “antisocial behaviour not only damages property, but it also damages our reputation and our valued community relationships”.“University of Limerick treats all complaints concerning individuals with the utmost seriousness,” she said.University of Limerick vice president global and community engagement Colin Fitzpatrick; interim provost Ann Ledwith; and then-minister for further and higher education Patrick O'Donovan. Photo: ArthurEllisPhotography/ Brian Arthur Photo “While the identity of those involved in the incident has yet to be ascertained, let me be very clear – this sort of behaviour is simply unacceptable from any member of our community.“Acts of antisocial behaviour, including property damage, public disorder and other actions that impact negatively upon local residents and landlords are a matter of very serious concern.”Walls, windows and ceilings of Limerick house destroyed during ‘student party’ Ledwith urged students to remember they were expected to “act as an ambassador for UL, both on and off campus, and ensure that your actions reflect positively on our community”.Walls and ceilings were torn down in the property. At one point during the video footage, the camera is pointed up at a ceiling on the first floor, revealing no ceiling but a gaping void into the attic and roofing joists.The first floor of the six-bedroom property was also littered with what appeared to be attic and wall insulation, and fixtures and fittings in an upstairs bathroom were also destroyed.Videos also showed mattresses thrown on to the garden and used as landing mats by students who also filmed themselves jumping off the roof.Ledwith reminded students of the Garda’s appeal for information, and included the Garda contact details in her email.[ Walls, windows and ceilings of Limerick house destroyed during ‘student party’Opens in new window ]Eric Nelligan, a secondary school assistant principal, who lives nearby, posted on X: “My kitchen window looks on the entrance of this estate, it’s carnage in there, most traditional residents have moved out ... College Court is notorious.“What would possess college students to do this? The house is ruined, tens of thousands in damage.”The two-storey house was recently sold after it was advertised as a vacant possession with a guide price of almost €445,000, and according to local sources, it had been in “turnkey” condition before last Wednesday.The property was advertised online by Rooney Auctioneers, Limerick, as having an “easily accessible pedestrian entrance to the nearby University campus, and a much sought-after location for student accommodation”.“Investors will be drawn to a lucrative investment opportunity with proximity to the University of Limerick, with superb rental potential,” added the property pitch.It’s understood investigating gardaí are following a definite line of inquiry, as several of the perpetrators of last Wednesday’s break-in and damage were clearly identifiable in video footage circulated on social media.