Archive - Women terrorised by death threats in Kilkenny

Seven heavily armed and masked men who raided a Kilkenny lounge bar terrorised four women for over three hours and threatened the life of the manager.

Three of the four women were dragged from their beds, bound hand and foot and, in the words of one of them, ‘were fired around like animals’.

All were told to say an act of contrition - ‘before you are shot’.

The night of terror at the Pike, Lavistown, began around 1.30am when the upstairs bedroom doors of housekeeper Kay Bowe, her daughter Ann and barmaid Carol Ryan were smashed in.

“Six or seven men with their faces blackened and heads covered with nylon stockings, tore the blankets from the beds and warned us to keep our heads down,” said Mrs Bowe.

“We were pushed and shoved around,” said Ann, “and the man demanded to know where the money was. The man who appeared to be the leader spoke with a Northern Ireland accent and said they were the IRA from Newry. They said they wanted the week’s takings and would not believe us when we said the takings were banked daily.”

The men had entered the premises through a lounge window. Before going to the women’s bedrooms they overpowered Michael Bolger, a handyman at the Pike.

Shortly before 3am the manager, Liam Ryan, returned.

“I noticed nothing suspicious,” he told a People reporter, “but when I went in the door I was struck on the back of the head and punched in the face and body. I didn’t know what was happening.

“One man held a knife in my back while another held a gun to my head,” he said. “They demanded to know where the safe was - I told there was none, but they didn’t believe me.”

The raiders stayed at the Pike until nearly 5am. They took £100 from the cash register, stole £35 from Mr Ryan and also stole a ladies watch.

Only minutes after the raiders had left, Mr Ryan and the others were free. After the Gardai were contacted roadblocks were set up around the city and motorists interviewed.

Kilkenny Marchers in New York

Kilkennyman Judge Jim Comerford from Castlecomer will again organise and direct the huge St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York.

The elected chairman of the Parade, this will be the ninth year for him and his committee of 600 people to parade between 114,000 and 122,000 marchers from 522 organisations and 63 marching bands on Fifth Avenue for a three mile parade.

The Kilkenny Association of New York will have their own marching unit with a brass band.

Led by James (Alfie) Hayes from Castlecomer the Kilkenny contingent will proudly march in their 71st parade.

Their banner features life-size portraits of Br Ignatius Rice and James Stephens.