SHOCKING FOOTAGE of a mass brawl involving a group of teens in north Dublin has sparked fury and a formal Gardaí investigation.
At least one arrest has been made in the wake of the ugly scenes that unfolded in Malahide Village on Saturday, May 8.
It comes after two videos surfaced on social media showing a series of violent and chaotic running battles between several young men in the area.
In the clips, youths can be seen running towards each other while members of the public look on, visibly stunned at the unfolding scenes around them.
The Gardaí garnered criticism for its response to the incident with many calling for a more visible street presence to prevent repeat incidents.
One person said: "Called Garda straight away didn’t arrive till it was done with and all lads had dispatched with there [sic] hoodies and masks! 24hr Garda station needed badly!"
Looks like a few local men have had enough of these scumbags going around thinking they’re the hard boys. A good kick up the hole they need the little scuts. #Malahide pic.twitter.com/lFbWriRqBf
— Daily Manc🐝 (@thedailymanc) May 9, 2021
Another wrote: “I actually walked passed this. Shocking stuff. Since Tesco opened and the green at Marina finished off, place has gone to the dogs and not a @gardainfo in sight.”
A Garda spokesperson has since confirmed that one arrest was made and that they would be keeping a closer eye on the area.
“An Garda Síochána carried out active patrols of public spaces in the Malahide area throughout Saturday evening, May 8, 2021,” they said.
“One arrest was made following a public order incident. The policing of anti-social behaviour is an ongoing priority for An Garda Síochána.”
Where the hell are the guards in malahide 😡😡😡 this is getting ridiculous @DarraghOBrienTD pic.twitter.com/VaNXtkPmem
— michelle fitzpatrick (@michell77159480) May 8, 2021
While Local Fine Gael TD, Alan Farrell lamented the lack of Gardaí on the scene at the time, he also called for the parents of those involved to take more responsibility for the whereabouts of their children.
He wrote on social media “More disturbing scenes this evening in Malahide. Gardai on the scene promptly and public order units have been deployed to the village and elsewhere. Arrests have been made.
“We need more Gardaí locally and we will be getting them shortly. More personnel remains my priority, this has been the case since Templemore was reopened in 2013. The disastrous consequences of the decision to close the training college is still evident today.
“These almost weekly events can’t be tolerated and I would ask parents to please ask their teens to stay local, for their own safety and security.”
