www.kellstransportmuseum.com - Irelands Operating Bus Museum

Welcome to the Kells Transport Museum Message Board. We welcome messages from everyone relating to the museum and its buses but anything to do with insults or personalities is banned. You must put your e-mail on any message you post or else it will be deleted.  This is stricty enforced.  No password is required. Your message is welcome.

        NO E-MAIL  NO POST

www.kellstransportmuseum.com - Irelands Operating Bus Museum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Arson Attack

Sorry Paul, whatever disagreements there may be among people there is no excuse for criminal damage whatsoever.
And for you to even offer some semblance of an excuse or justification is out of order

Re: Arson Attack

Indeed criminal damage is criminal damage and certainly calls into question the character of anyone who supports criminal acts , the Gardai should also be advised of the similarity between this attack and the attack on another collection of vintage buses a few weeks ago as there are far too many similarities between the two attacks to be mere coincidence.
I am disgusted and saddened to hear about this attack , If I can offer any support to the KTM at this time please get in touch.

Re: Arson Attack

I agree people who involve themselves in criminal acts should hang their heads in shame.

The buses did nothing to deserve Dr Slimes and his activities which ended up in their destruction.

Criminals will get what they deserve and one day all associated with this act(whatever side of the fence they happened to be) will get what they deserve.

Liar liar pants on fire

Re: Arson Attack

mmmmmm, Paul you post raises more questions, which Im sure cant be answered in public.

curiouser and curiouser

Re: Arson Attack

Kieran,

I agree with you completely that posts from Paul G and others like him raise questions which cannot be answered by the likes of us.

What Paul tends to forget that, in the past regarding these attacks on the message board against Michael & the museum, Michael has been sort of powerless to unmask the true identities of these culprits. Now that the museum has been physically attacked and criminal damage done, the Gardai are now involved and will obviously been asking the old question - 'Do you know anyone who would have done this'. Needless to say Michael WILL HAVE pointed out the attacks on the message boards.

As a result, you can be rest assured the Gardai and the investigation unit will be monitoring these boards and looking closely at messages like Paul G's. Unlike Michael, they will have the means to trace IP's to the poster, and even if the poster is using an internet cafe, trace the cafe in question and ask to view CCTV in said cafe to identify possible people in the cafe at the time the message was sent.

I think the likes of Paul G better be careful at this moment and keep their outspoken comments to themselves before they land themselves in Shoite and as possible suspect's. I'm not having a dig at Paul G, just stating a fact even if it is helping a troll.!!

Ross

Re: Arson Attack

"Shoite" I like it !!

yes I totally understand what you are saying, and if anyone cares to enlighten me by email then by all means do!!

However, I really think there is a massive distinct difference from a troll or nutter on the internet attacking a forum behind a false identity, and someone planning and executing this type of act.
So its probably someone or group of people with a deep presonal grudge against those running the show.
In fact, wasnt there a youtube video slaggin off one of the guys linked from here ?

Re: Arson Attack

Been looking at the recent pictures of the aftermath and it's totally incredible that we did not lose more than 11 buses. Even at 11 it's still a sore loss.

Being a regular visitor to the site when i'm on holiday from work, i know how close buses are parked to each other, and at the best of times it can be a problem getting into batteries to boost start a bus without having to move another two out the way first.!! As Michael says, if it had not been due to the caretaker whom lives a very short distance from the site phoning the fire brigade, we may well have lost a lot more.!!

Makes me think we will have to rethink how buses are parked at the museum in the future, including leaving a spaces which we can deem as fire breaks should this ever happen again.

Still cannot really comprehend what has happened though.
Ross.

Re: Arson Attack

Very true Ross and well said.This is a very unfortunate event for Michael and the museum.Its realy criminal to see the damage done.Michael has plenty good friends and in plenty good places too..As you and the others have mentioned,we are there to help out also in any way.
John

Re: Arson Attack

Hi, I have never posted here before but just wanted to write a quick response. I contacted Michael Grimes through Ross roughly a year ago regarding a Lynx and he contacted me straight away, and seemed a genuinely nice guy! Ive never met him but can only speak from what i find, and hope to contact him again very soon. Unfortunetly, 2 days after speaking to Mr.Grimes about rescueing a Lynx i was taken very ill and im still recovering. Couldnt believe it when i looked at the site last night for the first time in a year to see such a sad picture of the burnt out vehicles. People put alot of time and energy into collecting and looking after buses and evoke memories from childhood for some.I understand some folk dont get along but is this the answer? Very sad. I wish everyone the best and hope this situation can be sorted . Martin in Bristol UK

Re: Arson Attack

Hi Martin,

Yes i remember you contacting me about a certain Lynx. I've known Michael since 2005 and from personal experience he is a great guy and does try to go out his way to help you, for that reason i have always been honest with him and will not rip him off like some others have done in the past.

When i received a text from Michael just after 6am in the morning telling me what had happened (was in Leeds that weekend engaged on a photoshoot) i really did not know what to make of what i was hearing. My initial reaction was either mindless vandals had gotten into the museum and set buses alight, or when Michael mentioned the office was also burnt, that some electrical fire had started in the office and had spread to the buses parked very close by.!!

Once i started to read statements on the site such as 'Bombs', 'Fuses', 'Detonators' etc, then it did really start to get to me that this was not a random act, but obviously something that had been planned to cause maximum damage and disruption to Michael, which therefor makes me want to question do i really want to actually go back to the museum on the grounds that i don't really know what i'm getting involved with with regarding those determined to carry out such attacks.

From a personal point of view, when i'm over, which can be from a week to nearly two weeks, i usually stay on site in the museum grounds. You can imagine how scary that can be staying out in the middle of nowhere all by yourself at times. That said, it's not been unknown for me to take a late night wander round the yard in the car just to check everything is ok. The question i have to ask myself is 'What if this happened when i was over and stumbled across the act' and if you are dealing with people into 'Bombs', 'Fuses', 'Detonators' then what else could they do - that alone is not worth thinking about, especially when you are on your own in the middle of nowhere and cut off.!!!

I'm sure Michael himself will understand fully how i feel as what has happened just does not affect Michael, but those of us willing to give up time to help out at the museum. If this is some sort of statement aimed at Michael collecting buses from the north and bringing them south, then those of us bringing them south and also working on them could also be as much targets - i really hope this is not the case, but as things are at the moment we just do not know and its all speculation.

Ross

Re: Arson Attack

Hi Ross,

Please give Michael my best wishes when you speak to him next. Maybe im nieve but i thought the north/south divide had been laid to rest (or at least had come to an understanding)? If the threats and fire are because of this, then is it really worth putting your health/life at risk! That goes for Michael aswell. After all, you can replace a vehicle but family/friends etc...... Reading your reply certainly makes you sit up and think, who would have thought bus preservation would lead to bomb attacks, its frightening to think about it! Anyway, hope your well, thanks for your help in the past, its appreciated!
Best wishes, Martin

Re: Arson Attack

I could well totally be over-reacting to the whole situation, but as you said, it does make you sit up and think, more so when statements like bombs, Fuses, Detonators and only the Ulsterbuses were hit - it does seem like shades of the old north/south divide issues.

On the other hand though, as soon as any visitor walks into the main museum yard, all you are greeted with is wall to wall Ulsterbus Tigers in the main yard. Yes there is other non Ulsterbus vehicles in the main yard, but these are tucked away out of sight at the left side and back of the yard and only accessible once you negotiate around rows of Tigers. Assuming for a moment this has nothing to do with the north/south divide whatsoever and was some nutter with a grievance against Michael, they are not going to be selective about what buses they hit, only the ones closer and easily accessible to make a quick getaway - unfortunately all the ones close enough to get in and out the yard are the Ulsterbus Tigers unfortunately.

As i said, everything is all iff's and but's and pure speculation, but no one knows for sure why and who and this is the scary part.

Ross

Re: Arson Attack

Just listening to the radio this morning and it seems trouble has flaired in belfast again, with use of guns! Surely the divide cant be starting again? This will have a knock -on affect with every day life and surely this will only cause more anger towards the museum. Reading Michaels latest update and looking at the pics, the loss is awful, and such a sad sight to see. I will send Michael a personal email to see if we can help each other in some way. Fingers crossed, this was a one off and they will leave people and the museum alone. Best wishes, Martin

Re: Arson Attack

After reading the latest post on the website, I find it very hard to beleive that a criminal or terrorist gang would travel to Cork from Armagh. Unless of course you had really pi55ed someone off big style. However, I would suggest that information or suspicions, whether they come from Gardai or other sources should be kept to oneself until arrests/charges have been made, otherwise you run the risk of tipping the investigations hand and maybe undoing any progress made.