Violence mars Cork New Year celebrations

GARDAÍ had to deal with a vicious and unprovoked attack on a young man and a number of drink-fuelled violent incidents as the New Year arrived in Cork.

In a separate incident, gardaí were called to a care home on the north side of the city at 7.30am after a woman in her early 80s fell from a window.

A Garda spokesman said the woman was impaled on railings below and died from her injuries. Gardaí were treating her death as an accident.

Maura Looney, 82, was originally from Congress Road in Turner’s Cross. A widow with no children, she had only been admitted to the Care Choice Nursing Home in Montenotte the previous day and was an aunt of Cork city councillor Tony Fitzgerald.

Mr Fitzgerald said: “She was a kind, gentle woman who loved her family. We are devastated.”

Meanwhile, gardaí in Carrigaline are looking for two youths following a vicious attack on a 19-year-old man, who was walking home along Ballea Road with friends at around 2am when he was approached by two youths, one of whom broke a bottle over his head. He is currently at CUH awaiting surgery.

Gardaí believe the attack was unprovoked and are appealing for witnesses to contact Carrigaline Garda Station at [phone] or Togher Garda Station at [phone].

Gardaí were forced to use pepper spray to quell a large fight which broke out near the Lakelands bar at Avenue de Renne in Mahon at around 1am.

Three people were arrested at the scene.

Gardaí also used pepper spray to stop another disturbance, this time near O’Driscoll’s bar in Douglas.

Meanwhile, detectives are examining CCTV footage in the Mardyke area after vandals damaged the windscreens of seven parked cars.

Gardaí are also searching the River Lee after a young man was reported entering it at Sullivan’s Quay at around 9.30pm on New Year’s Eve.

At 10.30am yesterday a team of seven navy divers, acting on a request from gardaí, joined the search.

In freezing conditions and zero visibility the divers carried out six searches near Parnell Bridge. The search was stood down at 5pm and will resume again this morning.