Gardaí have been alerted to the incident.

15:12, 22 Jan 2026Updated 16:28, 22 Jan 2026

Thieves caught on CCTV stealing from a car in Cork (file photo)(Image: )

A Cork mum is warning others to remain vigilant after waking up to unsettling footage that showed a man searching her car and trying to open her front door in the dead of night. Aoife, a mother of two living in Blackrock, alerted Gardaí early this morning and shared the footage online.

The young man was seen approaching Aoife’s car late last night and rifling through it, looking for valuables. After coming up empty-handed, rather than moving on to the next car, he walked up the steps to her front door and tried to open it. Aoife said that the following morning, her mat and flower pot had also been moved, indicating that the thief may have been searching for a spare key.

Here in Cork, we’ve seen many of these incidents over the last few years as groups have frequently been caught on CCTV prowling through estates at late night searching unlocked cars for valuables. Incidents have been reported across the Rebel County, but as Gardaí often have little to go off, catching those responsible can be very difficult.

One of Aoife’s children is celebrating their birthday today, and the attempted theft has put a real damper on things. Aoife stayed up late last night setting up decorations in preparation for the big day, but the surprise was ruined when her children awoke to her reporting the crime to a pair of Gardaí.

Aoife told CorkBeo: “I saw this footage at around 7 am this morning. It showed him rooting through my car and then approaching my front door. I was worried it was targeted at first, but when Gardaí arrived, they told me that they’d received a lot of calls in the area about last night.

“When I saw him trying to open the front door, I was just thinking ‘what was his intention?’ It’s my child’s birthday this morning, and I was up late last night setting up decorations and getting everything ready. That was ruined when both of my kids woke up to me chatting with Gardaí at the kitchen table

“It was him trying to open the front door that made me want to share the footage online. It’s not just cars now; they’ll try to get into your house if you don’t lock your front door, that’s how brazen they’re getting.”

Gardaí arrived at the house this morning to take a statement from Aoife and to lift fingerprints and other evidence from the car, but as the thief was well covered up, there was little left behind. Aoife said she was relieved to learn that nothing had been taken from her car, as she keeps specialised medicine in it in case of emergencies.

When Aoife shared the footage with her neighbours and others started coming forward with footage of their own showing the young man trying to gain access to other cars, with one neighbour claiming he smoked a cigarette inside their vehicle.

She continued: “People need to be aware of this because if someone forgets to lock up one night, it could happen to them. I would be less nervous if he had just searched the car; it’s the fact that he came up to my front door and that he moved my mat and flowerpot, I think he was looking for a key.

“I’m not shaken, I’m angry. How dare he try to enter my home where I have my husband and two children sleeping – there’s no justification for it.”

This follows a recent Garda warning about the new technology theives are using to break into cars and what you can do to protect yourself from it. These thieves generally rely on owners forgetting to lock up before heading to bed. However, with modern technology, thieves can now access your car even if your keys are securely tucked away inside the home if they’ve brought the right tools.

Many modern cars now use keyless entry systems that rely on wireless signals transmitted between the car and the key fob, which activate when the key is within range. This usually isn’t a problem, as you need to be quite close to the car for it to unlock, but if the signal’s range is extended, the car can be opened even if the keys are stowed inside the home.

Thieves across the UK began adopting the tech in recent years, with the devices responsible for an estimated 40% of all car thefts, according to a report from the BBC. The technology is less common here in Ireland, but Gardaí have recently issued a warning to motorists outlining how they can protect themselves