Bank of Ireland apologises over oil spill at Dublin site
The diesel spill was detected at the bank's data centre in Cabinteely.
The spill contaminated a lake in Kilbogget Park in the area. An assessment carried out on 16 July discovered diesel oil on the water, which was emitting strong fumes.
A family of swans with four cygnets were rescued at the location; volunteers continue to try to rescue other water birds from the area.
A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland said that it engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in relation to the spill.
"We would like to sincerely apologise to the local community for the impact caused," the spokesperson said.
The EPA said that it was contacted by the bank yesterday about the oil spill, which happened following a delivery of fuel.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has said that booms and pads have been installed at the Kilbogget Park site to absorb the oil spill.
The spokesperson said that the booms and pads will be replaced regularly while the oil is there.
Animal rescue efforts also took place in Laois following a separate oil spill this week.
Kildare Wildlife Rescue was alerted to an incident in the Kilminchy area of Portlaoise on 11 July, where severe oil pollution had affected three connected lakes in a residential area.
The incident impacted a range of wildlife, including a family of swans with four cygnets along with several mallards, moorhens, coots, cormorants and herons.
KWR had an emergency response team bring the swans to safety.
KWR Rescue Coordinator Pearse Stokes, who has attended numerous oil spills, said the fumes were among the strongest he had experienced.
"The site at Kilbogget Park had the most intense fumes that I have ever encountered in any oiled wildlife response. This is not just concerning for the wildlife affected, but also a public safety concern for people and their pets walking and exercising in the park.
"This is a beautiful park with rich biodiversity and the impact of the oil will be severe on the wildlife in the area."
Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he said: "Rescuing oiled wildlife is additionally difficult because you need to wear PPE like facemasks and gowns to protect yourself from the contaminates and working then in the high heat that we had last weekend.
"And with that heat also comes an added complication where the oil in the water is evaporating and becoming quite toxic fumes for people so it's a kind of public safety concern, as well as a concern for the safety of our first responders and the wildlife."
Mr Stokes said the rescue team gathered up the swan family that lives on that particular pond and brought them to Kildare Wildlife Rescue.
"We are all quietly very hopeful for both sets of swan families" that have been rescued, he said.
He said a few days later when they responded to the second oil spill in south Dublin, he experienced "the worst fumes" he ever encountered on an oil spill.
"We get a lot of them, but this was really, really heavy in the air and you couldn't really spend too long in there just because of the smell."
He said they will continue to monitor both sites and pick up any animals that are sick and need to be taken into care.
While the swan family from Laois are washed and stable, the charity said that the swans in Kilbogget are still undergoing treatment.
An adult female is the most affected and is receiving intensive care from the Village Vets Greyabbey.
The rehabilitation of oiled birds can be a difficult process, according to KWR Manager Dan Donoher.
"The birds need to first be stabilised, warmed and given fluid therapy," he said.
"Washing can never be done on the same day, they need to be strong and pass multiple health checks before the stressful washing process begins."
He said that both swam families will remain in their care until their territories are clean and safe again.
KWR currently has over 400 animals in its rehabilitation centre.
While the source of the spill in Laois remains unknown, local county councils have begun clean-up operations and opened investigations into a potential cause.
KWR thanked Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Laois County Council for their support with the rescue efforts.
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RTÉ News
7 days ago
- RTÉ News
Bank of Ireland apologises over oil spill at Dublin site
Bank of Ireland has said that it sincerely apologises for an oil spill at one of its sites in south Dublin, which impacted a number of animals at a public park. The diesel spill was detected at the bank's data centre in Cabinteely. The spill contaminated a lake in Kilbogget Park in the area. An assessment carried out on 16 July discovered diesel oil on the water, which was emitting strong fumes. A family of swans with four cygnets were rescued at the location; volunteers continue to try to rescue other water birds from the area. A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland said that it engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in relation to the spill. "We would like to sincerely apologise to the local community for the impact caused," the spokesperson said. The EPA said that it was contacted by the bank yesterday about the oil spill, which happened following a delivery of fuel. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has said that booms and pads have been installed at the Kilbogget Park site to absorb the oil spill. The spokesperson said that the booms and pads will be replaced regularly while the oil is there. Animal rescue efforts also took place in Laois following a separate oil spill this week. Kildare Wildlife Rescue was alerted to an incident in the Kilminchy area of Portlaoise on 11 July, where severe oil pollution had affected three connected lakes in a residential area. The incident impacted a range of wildlife, including a family of swans with four cygnets along with several mallards, moorhens, coots, cormorants and herons. KWR had an emergency response team bring the swans to safety. KWR Rescue Coordinator Pearse Stokes, who has attended numerous oil spills, said the fumes were among the strongest he had experienced. "The site at Kilbogget Park had the most intense fumes that I have ever encountered in any oiled wildlife response. This is not just concerning for the wildlife affected, but also a public safety concern for people and their pets walking and exercising in the park. "This is a beautiful park with rich biodiversity and the impact of the oil will be severe on the wildlife in the area." Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he said: "Rescuing oiled wildlife is additionally difficult because you need to wear PPE like facemasks and gowns to protect yourself from the contaminates and working then in the high heat that we had last weekend. "And with that heat also comes an added complication where the oil in the water is evaporating and becoming quite toxic fumes for people so it's a kind of public safety concern, as well as a concern for the safety of our first responders and the wildlife." Mr Stokes said the rescue team gathered up the swan family that lives on that particular pond and brought them to Kildare Wildlife Rescue. "We are all quietly very hopeful for both sets of swan families" that have been rescued, he said. He said a few days later when they responded to the second oil spill in south Dublin, he experienced "the worst fumes" he ever encountered on an oil spill. "We get a lot of them, but this was really, really heavy in the air and you couldn't really spend too long in there just because of the smell." He said they will continue to monitor both sites and pick up any animals that are sick and need to be taken into care. While the swan family from Laois are washed and stable, the charity said that the swans in Kilbogget are still undergoing treatment. An adult female is the most affected and is receiving intensive care from the Village Vets Greyabbey. The rehabilitation of oiled birds can be a difficult process, according to KWR Manager Dan Donoher. "The birds need to first be stabilised, warmed and given fluid therapy," he said. "Washing can never be done on the same day, they need to be strong and pass multiple health checks before the stressful washing process begins." He said that both swam families will remain in their care until their territories are clean and safe again. KWR currently has over 400 animals in its rehabilitation centre. While the source of the spill in Laois remains unknown, local county councils have begun clean-up operations and opened investigations into a potential cause. KWR thanked Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Laois County Council for their support with the rescue efforts.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Irish Times
Emergency response team called to rescue birds from two inland oil spills just days apart
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RTÉ News
15-07-2025
- RTÉ News
'I have to have hope,' says Tuam relative as excavation works begin
The daughter of a woman whose child died in the Tuam Mother and Baby Home has described as "absolutely momentous" the beginning of excavation work at the site in Co Galway. Annette McKay's mother Maggie O'Connor was sent to an industrial school when her mother died in 1936. While there, Ms O'Connor became pregnant after she was raped by a caretaker when she was 17. She was then moved to Tuam Mother and Baby Home. Ms O'Connor was separated from her child after the birth and was moved to St Anne's in Loughrea. It was there where she was told that her baby, Mary Margaret, had died in Tuam. "Even a thimble full of Mary Margaret, to place that baby with her mum, would mean everything" Ms McKay spoke to RTÉ's News at One about her mother's experiences and the subsequent investigations and inquiries into the deaths at the Mother and Baby Home in Tuam. She explained that her mother did not speak about her experiences in the home until she was 70. 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Ms McKay said that her mother had been moved from Tuam to St Anne's in Loughrea, and she had been told that it was the women who the nuns regarded as "troublesome" or "wanting to spend too much time with their babies" who were moved from Tuam. "There was no bonding with that child to be allowed," she explained. "So mum was pegging washing out in Loughrea, and the nun came behind her and just said 'the child of your sin is dead' and they threw her out the same day - that's all she ever knew about that baby." She said that her mother was traumatised by her experiences in the Mother and Baby Home. "I always tell people the nuns lived in our home because the nuns were always present - all the trauma, all the damage, all the pain, all the stories. "I can recall now, the names of the sisters who abused my mother, so for her to keep that secret for 50 years, was a tremendous stigma and shame visited on those women." 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The inquiry found an "appalling level of infant mortality" in the institutions and said that no alarm was raised by the state over them, even though it was "known to local and national authorities". The State inquiry led to a formal government apology in 2021, the announcement of a redress scheme and an apology from the Sisters of Bon Secours. Ms McKay said that her mother had not been very interested in the redress scheme and had asked her daughter to deal with the proceedings. "A solicitor came and said she would take the case on and suddenly all this paperwork appeared - the baby's death certificate, the birth certificate and this place called Tuam. "Years later, in a story in an English newspaper: 'A terrible discovery in the West of Ireland of a grave containing a septic tank containing the bodies of 796 children'. "I knew she was on that list. And she was." A team of Irish and international forensic experts have broken ground at the site of the Mother and Baby Home in Tuam. The excavation will take two years and will try to identify the remains of the infants who died between 1925 and 1961, more than 11 years after Catherine Corless first drew attention to the burial site. Ms McKay described as "absolutely momentous" the beginning of the work at the site. "We were there last week, and the team gave us a chance to see what the site looks like now. It's forensically sealed and they were preparing to work. "I describe that journey as a chance to say goodbye for now."
