Call for more gardaí after violent riots in Enniscorthy
Gardaí from Wexford town and Gorey had to be drafted into the town of Enniscorthy in the early hours of Sunday morning after one of the worst nights of street disturbances ever in the town.
Five men were arrested for various public order offences after fighting broke out in the Market Square in the town. Junior Minister, John Browne, wants more gardaí to be drafted into the area, particularly at weekends, and Enniscorthy Town Council last night abandoned its scheduled agenda to discuss ways of dealing with violence in the town at weekends.
Local superintendent Pat Delaney said footage from a number of CCTV cameras in the centre of the town was being examined and he was anxious that those arrested at the scene be charged with violent disorder and affray.
“These people have been charged with public order offences but I will be doing everything in my power to ensure that they are charged with violent disorder and affray, charges which will necessitate circuit court appearances,” he said.
He said revellers also caused trouble in the town on St Stephen’s Night and New Year’s night but that he’d never seen anything like the trouble which erupted in the early hours of Sunday morning in the town.
“The gardaí were actually attacked. This incident blew up out of the blue. We were not expecting trouble on Saturday night. On bank holiday weekends or nights such as St Stephen’s Night we would have extra gardaí in the town.”
Local councillor, Keith Doyle, said more CCTV cameras were needed in the town.
Enniscorthy was not a violent town, per se, and was a great place to live and work, he said, but that the actions of a few were giving the area a bad name.
“We have a community responsibility in relation to this. Adults are buying drink for underage people in this town. We need to see a community response to this and to assist the garda, who are often an easy target in this.”
