Authorities probe causes of prison riot

Two separate investigations were launched today into a riot that broke out in Dublin’s Mountjoy Prison.

One prison officer had all of his teeth knocked out during the trouble after inmates barricaded themselves into a recreation room, said the Prison Officers Association (POA).

It has called for urgent talks with the Prison Service about yesterday’s disturbance which it has blamed on overcrowding.

But the Prison Service insisted the violence, which ended in four warders being injured, was down to the success of its enhanced security measures.

“It was purely and simply about contraband,” said a spokesman.

The jail remained tense today as gardaí moved in to carry out a technical examination of the scene in D Wing as part of an assault and criminal damage investigation.

The incident involving around 35 prisoners began late yesterday afternoon and was ended only when a control and restraint unit stormed the area just before 6pm after a two-hour stand off.

Prison bosses, including Governor John Lonergan, tried unsuccessfully to talk the inmates out of the room, which they had barricaded with snooker tables and chairs.

It took around 40 minutes for prison staff to reclaim the area, during which time five prison officers were hurt and two inmates suffered minor injuries.

“One of our members had all of his teeth knocked out and he received damage to the bridge of his nose,” said John Clinton of the POA.

“The other people hospitalised were due to inhalation injuries caused by fire extinguishers that were set off at them.

“I’m quite certain that this was a planned event. Because the prisoners in this area kept asking the staff on duty what time it was during the course of the afternoon.”

Mr Clinton insisted the disturbance was primarily down to overcrowding at the 158-year-old jail which is to be replaced by a new super-prison complex at Thornton Hall in north Dublin.

“The POA firmly believe that overcrowding is the main contributory factor to ongoing tensions,” he said.

“People should have seen this coming. We have been highlighting issues there for a considerable time, and that an incident like this may take off.

“Unfortunately, we were proved correct.”

Overcrowding has been an issue at the prison which was designed to hold 420 and currently has almost 600 inmates, but the Prison Service were adamant the protest was not about conditions.

It has launched its own investigation.