Shamrock Rovers fans break man’s nose at wake

A family has condemned the behaviour of some Shamrock Rovers fans who they say left a mourner at their mother’s wake with a broken nose following an unprovoked assault.

Paul McGee, 37, was with his wife Dara at the wake of her grandmother Maura Coleman, 77, when he says he was struck in the face with a beer can.

“My nose is broken, I have had six stitches to my face and the doctors think my eye socket is fractured,” he said yesterday.

“What happened was disgraceful and unreal. The can was smashed into my face without any warning and it was completely unprovoked.”

Mr McGee was with Eddie Coleman, a son of the deceased, when a group of more than 70 Shamrock Rovers fans walked along the road past Mrs Coleman’s house in Pearse Park, Dundalk, on Saturday afternoon before the kick-off of the EA Sports Cup between Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk FC.

Mr Coleman said: “We as a family condemn this violence as we waked my mother.

“They were throwing cans into the garden as they passed by and I said to them: ‘Would you show a bit of respect, there is a wake here, maybe take your rubbish with you.’ ”

Then one of the crowd assaulted Mr McGee with the can and when other family members came outside to see what was happening, the crowd verbally abused them.

Mr Coleman added: “My mother had seven children and 28 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren so when the children came out they saw this and they were crying. My mother would be horrified at this behaviour. She was one of the nicest people you could meet and we were never ever in any trouble.

“I am sure there are decent Shamrock Rover’s fans but these were the scum of the earth and they weren’t young, they looked to be in their 30s and 40s.”

Mr McGee said: “They had no regard for anyone or anything. If I had not gone behind a van [parked outside] I think they would have killed me. I didn’t even look at them. In fact when I first saw them I thought they were Dundalk fans. ”

The family wants to know why any football fans were directed into a residential area. “We want answers as to how these rowdy drunken hooligans ended up passing by our vicinity,” said Mr Coleman.

A spokesman for Dundalk gardaí said: “There was an issue with some Shamrock Rovers supporters who took a wrong turn to the match. We are aware an incident occurred in Pearse Park. We were very disappointed to hear something happened at a wake house.”

Mrs Coleman will be buried this morning.