Bressie: Parents must shoulder responsibility for Phoenix Park scenes

'Voice of Ireland' judge Bressie has blamed parents for the violence at Phoenix Park last weekend.

The former Blizzards frontman, who performed at the venue where the Swedish House Mafia concert ended in tragedy with nine separate stabbings, said education starts at home.

“I played there on the Sunday. We have this thing in Ireland that our first port of call is that someone is to blame on a bigger level or society is to blame,” said Bressie.

“If it happens and your kids are out doing it, a massive part of the blame lies with the parents and that’s just the way it has to be.”

Gardaí made 33 arrests at the Swedish House Mafia event on Saturday, which resulted in 70 charges.

There were also at least two deaths related to drug overdoses following the concert, which was organised as part of a three-day event as a scaled-down alternative to the cancelled Oxygen festival in Punchestown, Co Kildare.

About 135,000 people attended all three concerts.

Gardaí and promoter MCD have agreed to carry out an in-depth review of all aspects of the gig on Saturday, including security measures, which have been heavily criticised in the wake of the violence.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny described the scenes of street drinking, unconscious concert-goers, drug taking and fighting as appalling.

But MCD has maintained that security at the event was sufficient, with 145 gardaí on duty along with 511 security personnel on the Saturday alone.

However, 31-year-old Bressie said long-running enquiries to determine why the violence occurred was a waste of time.

“We have to stop this, spending eight weeks of enquiries to see what happened or to find out who was to blame, start where it really matters and that’s at home, that’s where I learned everything,” he said.

“I learned how to count at school but I didn’t learn how to be a person at school, I learned that from my mum and dad.”

The former Westmeath GAA footballer was speaking on Friday before performing at the Foróige Band on the Strand concert in Co Mayo – an alcohol-free event for teenagers.

Foróige chief executive Sean Campbell said the event was a good example of how young people can have a good time without drink or drugs.