Irish Examiner view: No mandate for gang’s actions

Street violence in Northern Ireland

The PSNI on North Road in Carrickfergus near Belfast following sporadic outbursts of disorder.

It’s been many years since holiday centres along the west coast welcomed an early July exodus from the North.

Every second table in a Westport or Oughterard restaurant was occupied by people with Belfast or Derry accents, trying to enjoy a holiday but also trying to escape July 12. Their welcome presence was symptomatic of a dysfunctional society, just as their absence in recent years is a sign of progress.