'Unacceptable at best of times': Gardaí break up crowded Co Clare party in Kilkee
Gardaí in Co Clare made a number of public order arrests in the seaside resort of Kilkee last night, after a large number of young people gathered for a party in the town.
Footage circulating on social media shows dozens of young people, mainly teenagers, cramped together in an event, which locals say continued until after 3 a.m.
Does the rules apply to some and not others? Absolutely disgraceful to see the scenes in #kilkee beach tonight and this isnt the first of it. Its no wonder cases are on the rise again with this nonsense going on and it isnt just at night either . pic.twitter.com/TUKgy960Jr
— laura fennell (@laurafennell2) August 2, 2020
Clare County Council has made a near unprecedented appeal to members of the public to act responsibly, and last night's scenes "must not" happen again tonight, in Kilkee or elsewhere.
Kilkee Cllr Cillian Murphy has told Clare FM he's never seen anything like it in thirty years living in the town.
Mr Murphy said: "All of this behaviour would be unacceptable at the best of times but it really is truly shocking now in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"And I guess it's no surprise when we see images like we saw last night why we are seeing the majority of are in this under-25 age group."
If you are in Kilkee, the parents of a teenager and didn’t know where they were last night, then this post is for you. pic.twitter.com/j80IHXilFJ
— Cillian Murphy (@CillianKilkee) August 2, 2020
In a statement social media, Mr Murphy highlighted the mess left behind by last night's revellers as well as the public safety mesasures that have now been put in place.
Mr Murphy also requested extra garda resources for the town.
"I’m living in Kilkee for over 30 years and I cannot ever remember this sort of behavior on anything like this scale before.
"I have been up since 6:30 this morning dealing with the consequences of last nights “event”, helping our ground crew pick up the litter, smashed glass, tidying up the vandalized shelters etc.
"I have seen a number of videos from last night posted publicly on other social media feeds and the behavior on display is truly shocking.
"I have also been on to the Gardaí this morning asking for a significant allocation of extra resources up to and including the public order unit for the future.
"The bandstand and it’s surrounds will be blocked off by CCC on public health grounds this evening at 6pm.
"I can only ask that parents know where their teenage children are at all times this evening."
Yesterday, Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, cautioned the public over the rising number of cases and appealed for personal responsibility to be maintained.
Dr Glynn said: " Over the last five days we have seen an average of 44 cases a day.
"This trend is clearly concerning and now is the time to ensure you and your families are making every effort to keep each other safe.
"Ensure gatherings are kept to a minimum and invite no more than 10 others into your home. Do not organise or attend house parties.
“Restaurants must enforce a limit of 50 people (including staff) on their premises at any one time.
“All workplaces should again review their procedures and protocols.
“Wash your hands regularly, carry hand sanitizer and wear a face covering where appropriate. Ensure you isolate immediately if you experience any flu like symptoms.
“It is our individual action that will stop the spread.”