'I can't see the issue': Car enthusiast unfazed by public reaction to Cork city meet

Gardaí said that they “observed in excess of 250 vehicles and 700–800 persons gathered” in Eastgate, Little Island, outside Cork City last Saturday evening. File picture: Denis Minihane.

An attendee at the Cork car meet described as "a disgraceful gathering" by Gardaí has said the public reaction to the event is "very annoying". 

Gardaí in Cork dispersed a large crowd of people in Eastgate, Little Island, outside Cork City last Saturday evening. 

They said that some participants had travelled from outside the greater Cork area and various parts of Munster.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, the man said: "What’s very annoying is the whinging and over-exaggerating about the whole event. 

"The guards had no problem once your car was legal etc.  99% of people were complying, one car was seized for tax but you could encounter a lot more people with out tax if you drive into the car park of a supermarket and look about. 

"Just because we’re young and a petrol head doesn’t mean we haven’t a brain cell. 

Most people kept their distance when walking about because that’s just the norm to do now and it has to be applied to every aspect of life. 

"Car enthusiasts/modified car drivers actually pump silly amounts of money into cars and often have them maintained to a higher standard to a lot of cars going about the roads that is from my own experience and my own friends' experience and we work hard and hold down jobs to do so, yet everyone paints all of us with the same brush 'oh you have to be a scumbag' 'we must have no sense'," he said. 

The car enthusiast said the event was a lot safer than scenes of revelry observed in Cork City centre over the weekend and the past few weeks.

"It was a lot safer than what was going on in Cork city on Saturday night. And people with drink on board would spread it a lot easier," he said. 

In a statement after dispersing the event, gardaí said that they “observed in excess of 250 vehicles and 700–800 persons gathered”.

Gardaí said there “was very little evidence of social distancing, wearing of face coverings or general compliance with public health guidelines.

“Ages of participants included older males in their 30s/40s, some accompanied by young children, but mainly males and females in their 20s.”

Gardaí “immediately engaged with this large group and advised them to disperse, a direction which was complied with by all in attendance within a short period of time".

There were no public order incidents and "sufficient gardaí attended the scene to effectively disperse the gathering", the statement added.

The attendee disputes the numbers of people at the car meet and said people were complying with public health guidelines. 

"It’s meet at 9pm, on the road for 10pm. It’s park up take pictures and leave again on the road for 10pm. I’d say a more realistic figure would be 200-300 odd," he said. 

And it’s not like your all huddled together the way things with Covid is you stick to yourself and keep your distance or else if you had brought someone in your car for example your partner, brother, sister, etc out in the fresh air. I can’t see the issue. 

Gardaí said the event appeared to have been organised on social media. They arrested one man in his late 20s for drunkenness offences. He was later charged and bailed to appear in court at a later date. One car was seized under Section 41 Road Traffic Act.

The man said the public reaction to the event is out of proportion and that the guards handled the car meet well. 

"It would be a different story if it was reckless, doing donuts etc. It’s literally park up your car. They had warned people on the group, no revving. From my experience there was no harassment from the guards as some people said and if they did there was a reason eg car unroadworthy.  And if you're attending meets it’s stupid to even consider a unroadworthy car," said the man. 

A senior Garda speaking to the Irish Examiner after the event said they were “caught by surprise” by the sheer scale of the gathering. 

“We are at a very delicate stage at the moment with Covid, and we are looking across the water, to England, as to what’s happening,

“People think we are doing fine and it's Christmas and the vaccine is coming and everyone is doing their best — but not everyone is, as we can see in recent days. A significant proportion of people are not getting the message,” said the senior garda.