Armed gardaí storm pub after party turns violent

Armed gardaí stormed a pub in the early hours of yesterday after a man suffered slash wounds to his face from a blade during a birthday party.

The fracas broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning in Foley’s bar in Limerick City, formerly known as Riddlers.

Gardaí were dispatched from the nearby Henry Street Station at around 1am after a row broke out at the party being held upstairs.

It’s understood a hatchet and a screwdriver were used during the incident and a number of men and women sustained injuries.

Five people were brought to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital for treatment for minor injuries.

“We were enjoying a gig downstairs and then all of a sudden we heard a loud rumbling noise coming from upstairs — people were running downstairs and out onto the street,” said one punter.

The injured were treated on the side of the road by paramedics for minor injuries.

“One older woman walked past me and she had blood running down along her face. It was awful,” a man said.

Four men were arrested and held at Henry Street before being released without charge. A garda spokesperson said a file on the matter was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.