Cork pub evacuated after pepper spray attack during Ireland's RWC quarter-final

It happened after a fight over an allegedly stolen bag on North Main Street spilled into the pub

Pepper spray can cause a burning pain to the skin and temporary blindness. It is used as a self-defence tool in some countries but in Ireland is illegal and is classed as a weapon.

A Cork pub had to be partially evacuated after a suspected pepper spray attack during the Ireland v New Zealand rugby game on Saturday.

A fight over an allegedly stolen bag on North Main Street spilled into a pub, where one party sprayed pepper spray at another, a witness said.

“This guy came barrelling in the door and another guy came after him brandishing a three-foot piece of wood and a can of pepper spray,” Sean O’Mahony, who witnessed the incident, said.

“He sprayed it at the guy he was chasing and everyone started coughing. He accused the guy he was chasing of stealing his bag.

“Everyone was choked up with the spray. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this in Cork. It’s a new departure.

“A gang of people in the bar got up and manhandled them out. The guy who used the spray kept saying ‘you stole my bag’.” 

Gardaí were called but the men then “scarpered”, Mr O’Mahony said. He said the bar where the attack took place is very quiet, with a regular, older clientele.

“No one was seriously hurt. They had to empty the front of the bar and open all the windows but people stayed to watch the rest of the match.”

Mr O'Mahony said that while the spray didn’t get into his eyes, he inhaled a lot but it dissipated after a while. "And it didn’t stop us having a great night," he added.

Pepper spray can cause a burning pain to the skin and temporary blindness. It is used as a self-defence tool in some countries but in Ireland is illegal and is classed as a weapon.

But gardaí are sanctioned to use pepper spray to “achieve a lawful objective” under Irish law. A garda source said that while it is used often, it is only used as a last resort when a person is not complying with gardaí’s requests and when they are very aggressive.

The source said that people do bring the weapon into Ireland from countries where it is legal, particularly from eastern Europe. According to garda statistics on the use of force by its members, 670 civilians were injured during a pepper spray incident up to the end of August.

A garda spokesperson said that gardaí were alerted to an incident at a premises on North Main Street, Cork, on Saturday whereby pepper spray was allegedly used by a member of the public.

“On arrival at the scene, no persons were present with pepper spray. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Michael O’Donovan of the Castle Inn on North Main St and Cork Secretary of the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland said that he was unaware of the pepper spray incident in another pub on his street and said that pepper spray has not been raised as an issue of concern by vintners at either local or national level.