Partying Limerick students could face expulsion 

Garda Godley and Garda Connolly on Patrol in College Court, Limerick. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

Students who attended the raucous street party in Limerick that saw five arrests and 50 fines so far issued for breaches of public health may face expulsion.

The University of Limerick (UL) is now conducting an investigation into the gathering that saw large crowds gather in College Court, a housing estate beside the university heavily populated by students.

The incident that saw large crowds gather and fireworks let off in the residential estate comes as almost 280 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been linked to an ongoing outbreak amongst students in the area. While breaking up the gathering, gardaí also seized cocaine with an estimated street value of close to €18,000. 

Those who are found to have attended the party face suspension, pending a full investigation, or possible expulsion from UL. 

UL Student Life, the UL students' union, said it fully supports the university in taking strong disciplinary action against students found to be in breach of public health guidelines.

“The events which took place in College Court on Tuesday are completely unacceptable and show a disregard of public health guidelines by the students involved." 

The HSE Department of Public Health Mid-West said it was disappointing to see the scenes. Students are encouraged to be open with contact tracers if they receive a call. 

“We see the negative impact the pandemic has had on young people and we see the enormous sacrifices students have made over the past year,” said Dr Marie Casey, a specialist in public health medicine. 

“But we are at a crucial stage of this pandemic where we have the ability to bring cases to low levels while our most vulnerable get vaccinated.

A lot of young people do not show symptoms, which is why it is important to stay apart, avoid household visits and social gatherings, particularly during the current outbreak, she added. 

The scenes were met with fury from local residents. One told the Irish Examiner that with fewer students attending college in person, houses are being rented for less.

“This means you have houses filled with five or six young people, who might not even be students, and their whole goal in life is to party. That’s what they are here,” they said. 

UL student Erin Dyer said she was disappointed that a very small minority of students will tarnish the rest with the same reputation. 

Most of us have been breaking our backs trying to abide by these rules to the letter and it just feels disheartening when others seem to completely not care about it.

As well as issuing 50 fines, gardaí arrested three men in their 20s at the scene for public order offences. One man has since been charged. He is due to appear before Limerick District Court on March 22.

Another has been released without charge but has been issued a fixed charge notice for public order offences. The third, who was arrested under the misuse of drugs legislation, was being held in custody at Henry Street Garda Station. Gardaí also seized an estimated €17,500 worth of cocaine along with €800 in cash during operations in College Court. Two men have been arrested in connection with the seizure.