Nothing saintly in Paddy’s Day behaviour

GARDAÍ in many of the country’s busiest districts were under orders only to arrest people as a last resort in Thursday’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Yet more than 700 people were arrested in the 24-hour period to 6am yesterday.

While organisers of the parades across the country claimed they passed in good humour and peacefully, the evening brought a barrage of reports of drunken youths and public disorder.