WATCH: Latest Cork street brawl sees parts of city branded 'no-go areas' 

It is the second such violent street brawl incident to occur on a main city street, to be captured on video and shared widely, in just a few weeks.

Footage of the incident shows a fight breaking out between two men who were part of a larger group of people who were standing outside the Savoy centre on St Patrick’s Street. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Parts of Cork City have become no-go areas, a city councillor has claimed after a street brawl spilled over into traffic on Cork’s main shopping street.

It is the second such violent street brawl incident to occur on the main city street, to be captured on video and shared widely, in just a few weeks.

A garda investigation is underway into the latest fight which erupted on St Patrick's Street at around 6pm on Monday.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Colm Kelleher, who branded those involved as “thugs”, has reviewed the footage and said he has raised the matter directly with senior gardaí today.

“These are absolutely disgraceful scenes. This is not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.

Footage of the incident shows a fight breaking out between two men who were part of a larger group of people who were standing outside the Savoy centre on St Patrick’s Street, where a homeless volunteer group runs a feeding station.

One man can be seen punching and kicking another and wrestling him to the ground, where he continues to kick and punch the man in the body and around the head.

The Lord Mayor of Cork Colm Kelleher branded those involved in the street brawl as “thugs”; he has reviewed the footage and said he has raised the matter directly with senior gardaí. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

That man then manages to get to his feet and retaliate. He drags the other man to the ground and the footage shows him punching and kicking his attacker several times.

The two men continue fighting and the brawl spills out onto the main street, where one of the men throws the other on to the bonnet of a passing car.

Mr Kelleher said this incident, especially at that early hour on a bank holiday Monday, coupled with a similar evening time incident on MacCurtain St last month, doesn’t paint a good picture of the city.

“This is not how we want to present our city — thugs effectively fighting each other on the streets,” he said.

“I have liaised with gardaí this morning and they are reviewing the footage which is circulating on social media.

"The perpetrators are clearly identifiable in the footage and the gardaí are pursuing a definite line of enquiry."

These individuals need to be brought before the courts and prosecuted to the full rigours of the law. 

Meanwhile, a man in his 80s has been treated in hospital after being knocked to the ground an incident in Cork City centre.

The man received minor injuries after being knocked during a public order incident by a number of other parties on Patrick’s Street just before 8pm last night.

A garda spokesman said the man was taken to the Mercy University Hospital for treatment for non life threatening injuries to his hand as a precaution.

One source said the man happened to “be in the wrong place at the wrong time” and was not involved in the public order incident.

Gardaí had been called to the scene but those involved in the incident had left the scene.

No arrests have been made and gardaí are continuing their investigation, he said.

However, Independent Cllr Ken O’Flynn said the city centre has become “a no-go area” for many people and he called for more high visibility garda patrols.

He said despite claims that Cork has never had more gardaí, there doesn’t seem to be a visible garda presence on the ground in the city centre.

“I was in the city centre myself on Friday night and didn’t see a single garda,” he said.

“I have also witnessed day-time drug dealing in the city centre, on Caroline St, on Paul St, and on Tuckey St.

“We are told that we have more gardaí but we don’t seem to see them.” 

He suggested using the old Cork prison building as a drunk tank or as a temporary detention facility to deal in the short term with those involved in such violent street fights.

And he said the authorities should conduct a review of the operation of various homeless charities who operate feeding stations in the city centre and consider providing them with permanent facilities.

“I admire the dedication of those involved in these services but perhaps the time has come now to look at amalgamating such homeless services and to find a proper facility for them,” Mr O'Flynn said.