Gang of thugs ‘terrorising’ young people in Salthill

A gang of marauding teens is terrorising youths in Salthill, leaving an avalanche of horrific injuries in their wake.

The claims were made by members of the Galway City Joint Policing Committee (JPC) yesterday, sparking a row about whether such thuggish behaviour should be publicised in case it deterred the thousands of sun worshippers from flocking to the beach, as they had done in the last fortnight.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh raised the issue in a discussion on the six-month crime figures, which showed a 23% drop overall crime in the city, with public order offences falling by one fifth and the percentage of assaults causing harm down by almost half in the period.

The Sinn Féin senator said he had become aware of a “gang of thugs” in their late teens and early 20s attacking other youths in beachside suburbs, stealing their money, mobile phones and giving their victims “a fair beating”.

“A parent contacted me whose son had his front teeth broken. The dentist said she’d seen numerous cases like this. The GP said the same thing. These young people are very afraid to report this to the Gardaí because of a fear of reprisal,” the politician told the meeting.

City Councillor Niall McNelis said there were a group of “young thugs” in Salthill who were causing a problem. Five councillors had met with the local Garda Superintendent in a bid to address the matter.   

“I don’t know if the word should go out that Salthill is a no-go area,” the Labour representative added.

Cllr Terry O’Flaherty said she had personally encountered a “particular group of hooligans” on the other side of the city in Ballyloughane Beach in Renmore during the fine spell last week and had contacted the Gardaí.

“These particular youths were throwing bottles wherever they could throw them making life awful for people out enjoying the good weather,” the Independent councillor reported.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.