Attempted Abductions in Limerick

Baldie

I've heard rumours going around that there have been a number of attempted abductions in around the Fedamore, Patrickswell, Killaloe, Castletroy and Monaleen areas and also at local GAA matches. Two people in a white van have tried to take a number of children. Are there any truth to these claims?

say_who_now?

Baldie wrote: »

I've heard rumours going around that there have been a number of attempted abductions in around the Fedamore, Patrickswell, Killaloe, Castletroy and Monaleen areas and also at local GAA matches. Two people in a white van have tried to take a number of children. Are there any truth to these claims?

There is no truth in rumors, and you've pretty much covered the entire Limerick county area there, to be on the lookout for white transit vans...

My mother used scare the life out of me with that story 30 years ago, but back then it was just a rumor too! The GAA matches is a new addition to the urban myth though.

Coincidentally enough I was out at a juvenile GAA blitz in Patrickswell the other night. Guess what? Not a white van in sight.

Brian Lighthouse

I heard the same story.
I also heard that the white van is selling knocked off gear too.

I also remember that every Autumn a similar story surfaces, perhaps coinciding with the return to school.

Then again, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Chucken

say_who_now? wrote: »

There is no truth in rumors, and you've pretty much covered the entire Limerick county area there, to be on the lookout for white transit vans...

My mother used scare the life out of me with that story 30 years ago, but back then it was just a rumor too! The GAA matches is a new addition to the urban myth though.

Coincidentally enough I was out at a juvenile GAA blitz in Patrickswell the other night. Guess what? Not a white van in sight.

In our area, it was a white Fiat 500. Gas part was, I still dont know what one looks like

say_who_now?

Chucken wrote: »

In our area, it was a white Fiat 500. Gas part was, I still dont know what one looks like

The postman used give us sweets when he used be delivering the post, he had to stop with the sweets though because I and my five brothers used nearly faceplant each other off his van when we'd be running to the van to grab the post out of his hands!

But he drove an orange van at the time.

The bread man alright used drive a white van, but he was a miserable so and so, wouldn't give you the steam off... a scone, so none of us bothered with him! :mad:

The milkman always made sure none of us were around when he was making his deliveries... not sure what the story was there!

Insect Overlord

My gullible cousin in Australia was sharing the same rumours on Facebook last night. The same story does the rounds every year.

fran38

It's all over Facebook. Don't think it's true because these stories appear every so often. Some people have rang Henry St about it but got short shrift from the boys...

endacl

Insect Overlord wrote: »

My gullible cousin in Australia was sharing the same rumours on Facebook last night. The same story does the rounds every year.

Yep. It's up there with the auld' 'today is the international day of....' chain posts....

amdublin

As well as the white van rumour don't forget the one about the foreigners abducting the kid with long blonde hair and bringing it in to the toilets and changing it's clothes and dying and cutting its hair.

Luckily the guards/the Childs mother catches them just as they are putting the child into the white van.

:rolleyes:

Chucken

say_who_now? wrote: »

The milkman always made sure none of us were around when he was making his deliveries... not sure what the story was there!

Was his name Pat Mustard

say_who_now?

Chucken wrote: »

say_who_now? wrote: »

The milkman always made sure none of us were around when he was making his deliveries... not sure what the story was there!

Was his name Pat Mustard

*strokes sideburns*

The life of me now I can't remember... :pac:

rainbowdrop

Are you sure it was a white van OP?

I saw a wine coloured van earlier today and it seemed kinda suspicious to me, so I took a picture. This it, by any chance?

http://fetzblawg.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/free-candy-van.jpg

say_who_now?

rainbowdrop wrote: »

Are you sure it was a white van OP?

I saw a wine coloured van earlier today and it seemed kinda suspicious to me, so I took a picture. This it, by any chance?

http://fetzblawg.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/free-candy-van.jpg

Here's a couple of dodgy looking characters alright-

Louche Lad

Similar thing in a town in England I was staying in last year - there was supposedly a black car going round, with the driver speaking to kids. The info shot round Facebook, but police had zero reports of this actually happening.

adaminho

Probably Larry Murphy seing as my aunts hairdressers sisters Neighbourhood heard it on facebook that he moved into the area!

Blazer

Nearly as bad as the parkway story about the kidnappers being caught in the jacks cutting the child's hair.
I even heard it being repeated in the sauna room in the gym and burst my ass laughing out loud at them..cue angry looks

Wilbert13

Being reported as having happened on local radio, even had mother of one of the boys being interviewed earlier according to their website

http://www.live95fm.ie/news/news-item/limerick-mother-warns-of-white-van-abduction-attempt/7c4dff68-0777-4847-add3-c8503a7109e7

Kess73

Possibly some truth in it then.

leakyboots

Will the cynicism on here stop now that it has been reported in the media?

I don't think you can be too careful when it comes to abduction of kids

edit: Christ, my last line makes it sounds like I'm the van driver

say_who_now?

leakyboots wrote: »

Will the cynicism on here stop now that it has been reported in the media?

I don't think you can be too careful when it comes to abduction of kids

edit: Christ, my last line makes it sounds like I'm the van driver

I don't think you should be too sensationalist either in fairness. Take a look at the OP again-

Baldie wrote: »

I've heard rumours going around that there have been a number of attempted abductions in around the Fedamore, Patrickswell, Killaloe, Castletroy and Monaleen areas and also at local GAA matches. Two people in a white van have tried to take a number of children. Are there any truth to these claims?

Hell they even included a white transit van in the reporting article! :rolleyes:

I for one am by no means making light of child abduction, what I was making light of was the hysterics in the OP. At least in the reported article the case is a bit more specific than just rumor and speculation. If I was to have taken the OP seriously I'd have to lock my child indoors and never let him out, "because you just never know!".

Chucken

Actually, I was in the city centre today and overheard some ladies discussing this.

I waited till they'd finished and asked one if it was true. She said it was her neighbours boy who was approached in Henry Street.

Ive since heard (from the boys mother)that a little boy was approached in Killaloe as he played in his own garden.

I'm more concerned now

ZombieBride

Oh won't someone please think of the children!

Children are in far more danger of being assaulted, molested, manipulated, abused by people they know than strangers. Lets hog tie all the uncles that buy presents, and mothers that get McDonalds.

killwill

Lads, for the none believers there is some truth to this. 2-3 weeks ago athere was an attempted abduction in Killaloe. It happened up the Hill Road. A boy was playing in a garden when a van pulled up and tried to snatch the boy from his garden. Thankfully they were unsuccessful.

say_who_now?

killwill wrote: »

Lads, for the none believers there is some truth to this. 2-3 weeks ago athere was an attempted abduction in Killaloe. It happened up the Hill Road. A boy was playing in a garden when a van pulled up and tried to snatch the boy from his garden. Thankfully they were unsuccessful.

killwill its not that I don't believe it happens, of course it does, on a daily basis, up and down the country, not just in Limerick. But as I say to my wife "keep your eye on the child, not on those you think are out to abduct him!", because if you're too busy looking out for so and so that looks dodgy, you're taking your eye off the child, and that's when it could happen, when your attention is diverted by someone or something else and you take your eye off the child.

overthebridge

Surely with the numbers of "attempted abductions" , someone has gotten a better description than "a man in a white van".
There should at least be a licence plate number and even a general description of the drivers/passengers ?
And what with the amount of smartphones out there someone would have something on video or a photo taken ?

caspa307

overthebridge wrote: »

Surely with the numbers of "attempted abductions" , someone has gotten a better description than "a man in a white van".
There should at least be a licence plate number and even a general description of the drivers/passengers ?
And what with the amount of smartphones out there someone would have something on video or a photo taken ?

guards said today on live 95 fm that they had recieved NO reports of abductions the only white van related incident was a break in where the thief was found in a childs room and got away in a white van

marienbad

This is all rubbish no matter what Limerick radio say. Get a grip people.

um7y1h83ge06nx

caspa307 wrote: »

guards said today on live 95 fm that they had recieved NO reports of abductions the only white van related incident was a break in where the thief was found in a childs room and got away in a white van

Seems very, very strange that the incident wasn't reported to them. Although the article says "the incident was reported to the gardai at Roxboro Garda Station".

caspa307

Kathleen Scrawny Windowpane wrote: »

Seems very, very strange that the incident wasn't reported to them. Although the article says "the incident was reported to the gardai at Roxboro Garda Station".

yeah the woman swears she reported it, the gaurd was from roxboro and said it might not be on the system yet!! it was about half 9-9:45 this morning

Mc Love

WOLF!!

hightower1

rainbowdrop wrote: »

Are you sure it was a white van OP?

I saw a wine coloured van earlier today and it seemed kinda suspicious to me, so I took a picture. This it, by any chance?

http://fetzblawg.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/free-candy-van.jpg

Seems legit....

Simply some cheap sign writing, thats all. Harmless.
I often get some mistaken looks from my own up and coming self help service.

rainbowdrop

hightower1 wrote: »

Seems legit....

Simply some cheap sign writing, thats all. Harmless.
I often get some mistaken looks from my own up and coming self help service.

The poor little children can't be expected to walk all the way to your overpass for their free hugs. Maybe I could track down the driver of that totally not suspicious van and get him to kidnap give them a lift there for you?





.

Insect Overlord

I still reckon this whole thing was born out of Chinese whispers and scaremongering. It reads very like the stories in the current After Hours thread about "urban legends". The White Van story seems to go around every so often even though there's rarely a decent description or any useful other details to go with it. I remember hearing the same rumours when I was a kid in the 90s, even though the actual number of child abductions by strangers is minuscule.

I can appreciate parents/guardians/teachers/neighbours wanting to be vigilant, but I don't see how people are taking this story seriously.

MHalberstram

Heard the same story in the 80's. The latest is the white van man is in Thomondgate and Parteen. Maybe he's doing a nationwide tour.

Beaver1

looks like there have been complaints alright



http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0912/1224323910466.html

Gardaí in Limerick have confirmed they are looking into two separate incidents in which suspicious approaches were made to young boys in recent days.

The most recent incident was reported to have taken place at 9pm last Saturday on Lord Edward Street in Limerick city when a boy aged about 13 was approached by the occupants of a white van.

Two days earlier, on Thursday, September 6th, gardaí had received a report of a similar incident near the village of Fedamore, Co Limerick. In this incident it was reported two men travelling in a small white van asked a 13-year-old boy to get into it.

This was reported to have happened at about 5.30pm. It is understood the boy was walking towards the village when he was asked to get into the van.

He declined and was asked again before he ran home and told his mother.

Gardaí at Roxboro are investigating both incidents, which they say are not necessarily linked. The reports have featured on social media.

seachto7

She's a witch!!

marienbad

Beaver1 wrote: »

looks like there have been complaints alright



http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0912/1224323910466.html

Gardaí in Limerick have confirmed they are looking into two separate incidents in which suspicious approaches were made to young boys in recent days.

The most recent incident was reported to have taken place at 9pm last Saturday on Lord Edward Street in Limerick city when a boy aged about 13 was approached by the occupants of a white van.

Two days earlier, on Thursday, September 6th, gardaí had received a report of a similar incident near the village of Fedamore, Co Limerick. In this incident it was reported two men travelling in a small white van asked a 13-year-old boy to get into it.

This was reported to have happened at about 5.30pm. It is understood the boy was walking towards the village when he was asked to get into the van.

He declined and was asked again before he ran home and told his mother.

Gardaí at Roxboro are investigating both incidents, which they say are not necessarily linked. The reports have featured on social media.

No there is nothing in it - just a bit divilment and attention seeking

LB6

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trace-Missing-Persons-Ireland/143712565673714

They even have it on their site. Not so sure that I'd be a doubting Thomas about this anymore.

Gers_punto

Rumours flying around fedamore now that he is back in a red golf

caspa307

Gers_punto wrote: »

Rumours flying around fedamore now that he is back in a red golf

apparently a man and a woman in red golf tried to take a child in thomondgate yesterday evening, again take with a pinch of salt as my cousin told me but heard it from someone who heard it from their uncle/cousin lol also it was on facebook

pappyodaniel

Ya I heard a similar story doing the rounds in Shannon. Sounded like bullsh1t to me. A man with long black hair in a pony tail driving a white van approaching young boys.

Stories like these just grow legs and become a type of boogy-man story.

Melion

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Ya I heard a similar story doing the rounds in Shannon. Sounded like bullsh1t to me. A man with long black hair in a pony tail driving a white van approaching young boys.

Stories like these just grow legs and become a type of boogy-man story.

There was about 10 different regs and 20 different descriptions of the man. It was embarassing seeing people saying that they were driving around shannon looking for him

pappyodaniel

Melion wrote: »

There was about 10 different regs and 20 different descriptions of the man. It was embarassing seeing people saying that they were driving around shannon looking for him

One girl I was talking to was telling me all about it, I couldn't believe the sh1te coming out of her mouth. She told me that 5 boys were taken away in a van.

ME - 5 boys...really? And when did this happen?
HER - A couple of days ago.
ME - Ok...and where did you hear that. Was it on the radio or the television or on the newspaper?
HER - No, my auntie told me.
ME - Ok well there's no truth in what she told you.

She then told me why the young boys are being abducted. Basically the man in the van was taking the young boys so he could sell them to married couples who couldn't have their own babies.

The level of stupidity is amazing.

killwill

Lads, I don't know if any of the attempted abductions in Limerick are true but I know for a fact that one of the incidents did happen in Killaloe. The childs mother told me first hand about it.
Maybe chinese whisper encouraged a few tall tales after this I don't know but there is some truth to it all.

Beaver1

I dont think any of them are true,

enfant terrible

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Ya I heard a similar story doing the rounds in Shannon. Sounded like bullsh1t to me. A man with long black hair in a pony tail driving a white van approaching young boys.

Stories like these just grow legs and become a type of boogy-man story.

Abduction attempts do happen though, here's one caught on tape

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/18/justice/pennsylvania-abduction-attempt/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29

phill106

The shannon thing did happen, was in my estate. Driver was seen talking to the boys, trying to get them into van. Another dad of a different child shouted at the kids to get into the nearest house. Cops spoke to familes involved and traced the driver of the van,
Some details are here
http://www.clarecourier.ie/article.asp?id=3489

Beaver1

phill106 wrote: »

The shannon thing did happen, was in my estate. Driver was seen talking to the boys, trying to get them into van. Another dad of a different child shouted at the kids to get into the nearest house. Cops spoke to familes involved and traced the driver of the van,
Some details are here
http://www.clarecourier.ie/article.asp?id=3489

that also quotes the one on Edward st, for a van that's doing the rounds how come no one has got a reg number. I don't believe any of them happened for that reason alone, no reg plate numbers and there's camera the length of Edward street.

killwill

Beaver1 wrote: »

that also quotes the one on Edward st, for a van that's doing the rounds how come no one has got a reg number. I don't believe any of them happened for that reason alone, no reg plate numbers and there's camera the length of Edward street.

How do you know that they didn't?
Reg numbers can be faked and/or changed. It is quite easy to do it.

Beaver1

killwill wrote: »

How do you know that they didn't?
Reg numbers can be faked and/or changed. It is quite easy to do it.

yes it is but there's no numbers even been quoted. the first thing I would do if I seen something suspicious would be take the reg number and report it, even some of the reg number, with all the so called people that seen the white van no reg has ever been quoted anywere. that just my opinion.

killwill

Beaver1 wrote: »

yes it is but there's no numbers even been quoted. the first thing I would do if I seen something suspicious would be take the reg number and report it, even some of the reg number, with all the so called people that seen the white van no reg has ever been quoted anywere. that just my opinion.

There is a great chance that a number could have been given to the guards though.