Music venue to get teens off streets

Proposals to stop the disruption caused by groups of teenagers on the streets of Cork city at weekends are to be unveiled within weeks.

Supt Barry McPolin, the head of city centre policing, said gardaí are working with Cork City Council to provide teens with an alcohol-free afternoon music venue, most likely in City Hall, in a bid to entice them from the streets.

The weekend gatherings have become a major concern for city centre traders and shoppers. Groups of up to 40 young people, ranging in age from 14 to 17, have been congregating on parts of St Patrick’s St and nearby pedestrianised streets, mostly on Saturday afternoons.