‘I’m fuming’: €50,000 worth of damage after Waterford charity shop flooded by burglars’There’s no insurance to cover it. So their, sort of joke or whatever, is going to cost me somewhere in the region of about €50,000′ Wed, 09 Sep, 2026 – 10:59Erin Gahan
A Waterford City charity shop has been “ruined” after a break-in over the weekend left the building flooded, out onto the street.
The building, on Greater George’s St in Waterford City, was broken into on Friday evening, according to the building owner Noel Conroy, who said he received a phone call on Sunday morning about water leaking through the Oxfam shop on the ground floor and onto the street.
Mr Conroy said the perpetrators, suspected to be a group of teenage boys, broke into the upstairs area of the building and “ransacked the inside of the building”, turning on water taps and blocking the sinks.
The water, Mr Conroy explained, effectively flooded the entire building, coming down through the ceiling of the second storey onto the first storey, and further still into the ground floor of the building where the Oxfam charity shop is located.
“They have also ruined everything in the shop,” Mr Conroy said. “All of their stock is ruined, and then, of course, I’m left footing the bill for the repairs to the shop, the repairs to the building above it; and not only that, but I have to pay for the water they used to flood the building as well.”
“I’m just a regular Joe trying to get by in life,” he added.
“I have a family to feed and to look after, and I have to pay for this out of my own pocket. There’s no insurance to cover it. So their, sort of joke or whatever, is going to cost me somewhere in the region of about €50,000, that’s my income for the year.”
Read More
Older people in Cork, Clare and Waterford face long delays in accessing homecare
It’s not only repairs the shop will need, Mr Conroy said, but support from the community too.
The Oxfam charity shop on the ground floor of his building depends on community donations and engagement, and with its stock severely damaged from the incident, he’s asking the community to help them out with donations when they reopen.
“I’m fuming, along with a lot of other things, that somebody would do this. It’s a charity shop, you know, it’s not as if it’s, I don’t know, an Elon Musk Tesla sales outlet or something.
“I’m just a bit surprised with that.”
Read More
Dungarvan’s Park Hotel targets family market after €4m upgrade adds 21 rooms
x
185th Anniversary Offer
Six months of digital access for €18.50
Already a subscriber? Sign in
No obligation. Ts&Cs apply.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
NEWSLETTERS
NOTIFICATIONS
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
more waterford – news articles
Older people in Cork, Clare and Waterford face long delays in accessing homecare
Waterford locals fear losing rights-of-way after billionaire James Dyson’s purchase of Ballynatray estate
Waterford’s Mount Melleray to hold special Mass after conversion to US third-level campus
More in this section
Dilapidated Cork office set for €1m transformation into multi-service community hub
Irish airports impacted by major UK flight disruption
Cork council and Bessborough landowners to attend mediation to decide future of site
#Waterford – News#Waterford News and Star