Saoirse Ronan's dad ‘terrorised' by trespassers who threaten to burn down Co Carlow house

Sunday World

26-05-2025

Fair City actor Paul Ronan is also in a bitter dispute with some neighbours over a wall and fence which has been erected at Aghade bridge in Co Carlow.
The father of Hollywood movie star Saoirse Ronan claims he has been constantly terrorised by trespassers, who he says have even threatened to burn down his house, trying to get through his property to gain access to a scenic river.
Fair City actor Paul Ronan (60), who is about to become a grandfather after his Oscar-nominated daughter Saoirse announced this week she is pregnant, is also in a bitter dispute with some neighbours over a wall and fence which has been erected at Aghade bridge in Co Carlow.
Paul shows Eugene Masterson the area under dispute
Paul called Gardaí on Saturday after a local farmer tried to remove fencing to again gain access to part of the scenic River Slaney, four miles from Tullow.
'I was forced to put up a high wall and gates to stop all sorts of people coming through my property at all hours of the day,' he tells the Sunday World.
He adds that the neighbour, who owns lands adjacent to the river, was forced to put up a fence at the bridge to stop hordes of people descending onto her land to hang out on the banks.
'I raised it because there were people climbing over it and sitting on it. It was so bad. People were coming through, before the fence was there. People would walk through the grounds to get to the river,' he says.
'If I'm in my living room, they're walking along and they can look straight in. If they have an accident here, I've no public liability insurance.
'During Covid, the word got out that this was a great place for cider-drinking and parties. There were hundreds of people, fellows doing doughnuts. From 10 in the morning until 1.30 at night, this was being used as a party venue.
'I got so sickened with the littering and the anti-social behaviour.'
Paul, who plays postman Anto Collins in the hit RTÉ soap, maintains he was not only forced to Gardaí on numerous occasions, and also on occasion ambulances.
Paul shows Eugene Masterson the area under dispute
'Over the years I've lost track of the amount of times I've called the Guards. Their hands are tied, I suppose, because its private property and they don't want people anymore,' he complains.
'One girl come up screaming, there was a little boy attacked by three bigger boys. They were 16/17, he was 11/13, he was beaten up.'
He claims he too has been threatened.
'They'd be all the way up along the river screaming and shouting. They were coming from all over Co Carlow. Local people would drop their kids off during the summer.
'I have been threatened before. I have been told I'd have my house burned down, and being shouted and stuff like that. I've had rocks put through my windows.
'It has been very disruptive. And they just litter everywhere. It was unbelievable. They'd be sitting at the other side of the wall, sitting there drinking and tossing the bottles into my garden.
'There was no control. You'd call the police, and they'd tell them to move on, they'd go away a little bit or hide and come back again.'
Paul shows Eugene Masterson the area under dispute
Dubliner Paul moved to Co Carlow with his family 26 years ago.
'I went over to New York. My daughter (Saoirse) was four or five. I was doing a couple of films over here, Ordinary Decent Criminal, and Ballykissangel. There was stuff happening for me over here so we just decided to stay,' recalls the father-of one.
'We decided to look around here for a place, and we came across this and it's on the banks of the lovely Slaney. It was at the right price and everything, so we jumped at it.
'I grew up in Ballymun flats, Crumlin, East Wall, Summerhill, inner city and housing estates and the Bronx, so I was just sick of being surrounded by buildings. Saw this... heard that river and the birds singing, went 'Jesus'. It's only an hour from Dublin.
'I love around here. I even taught Saoirse to swim in the river here.'
For nearly three years, up until recently, Paul was in Dublin looking after his elderly parents, who are now in care.
Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan
News in 90 Seconds - May 26th 2025
He admits his bungalow and grounds are currently in some disrepair as he's been away, but he hopes to stay and improve his home and surroundings.
But lately he has had trouble from some neighbours, who have been trying to remove obstacles to get onto the riverbank.
He fears if they succeed it will allow gangs of youths and troublemakers to descend on his property, and so has put CCTV cameras up to monitor the area.
He points out there is a local park with water facilities, Altamont Gardens, which caters for those wanting a day out, but he speculates that some want to go to the river beside him as they can get away with more mischief in an unsupervised area.
Paul with daughter Saoirse
Saoirse Ronan
The woman who owns the land next to Paul by the river, who does not want to be identified, insists there is no public access allowed.
'It's private property, there is no right of way,' she says. 'I'm legally responsible for everything half way into the river. If somebody takes drugs and drowns in the river I'm actually legally responsible. I can't get insurance to allow people to go there.'
She said she had been in touch with Carlow County Council and claims they agree with her stance.
'The only person I have to let in there is the inland waterways. I rang them and Teagasc and also the Tullow Anglers. They wanted it fenced as there was so much drug dealing,' she adds.
'I rang the local kayakers, I told them it was about the drug dealers, and if they want to kayak to ring me. I can give access through my field.'
Rubbish at the riverside close to Paul's home
She acknowledges she and Paul are in conflict with other landowners who want access to the river.
'They don't accept that they have been trespassing. They have taken an angle grinder to it. I have had my tyres slashed on a trailer and complaints about how I care for my donkeys, it has got that bitter.'
Local retired fitter Tom Cummins confirmed to the Sunday World he used an angle grinder to try and cut open the fence and was questioned by Gardaí on Saturday about trying to pull more of it apart.
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'I have never before been in trouble, they came to my house on Saturday night, three Guards. The first time ever,' he sighs. 'I did cut it, but it's an illegal fence and it's on council property.
'I'm a fisherman, I can't get to there (the river). That land has a burden on it that says there's fishery rights to it.
'I have walked that riverbank since the age of four and this is all around right of way.
'I put stiles all along the bank with her grandfather for the right of way.
'He (Paul) has no planning permission for that wall. Yes, it has got bitter.'
Another local engineering firm owner, Joe Rothwell, claims he too is denied access.
'I used to go down, and with the kayak club. My wife and my sister used to walk the bank of the river. It is the best stretch of the river for kayaking. We can't understand why it's being blocked.'
A spokesperson for Carlow County Council asked us to email them with our request to clarify the position about the fencing and right of way, but they did not reply to our communication.