Garda delight as Paddy’s Day the most trouble-free in years

Date Published: 19-Mar-2013

BY CIARAN TIERNEY

A concerted effort by Gardaí and the owners of off-licences across the city to limit the sale of alcohol on Sunday morning resulted in one of the quietest St Patrick’s Day celebrations on record in the city, with just four arrests for public order offences on the national holiday.

Gardaí were delighted that a ban on the sale of alcohol before 3pm and a concerted campaign to target underage drinking resulted in an unusually quiet national holiday in the city centre.

“There were only four arrests, which was as quiet as a normal Monday night in the city centre,” said a Garda spokesperson yesterday.

“Our overall package worked well. The off-licences were superb in working with us to make sure alcohol was sold responsibly. There was very little problem with underage drinking on St Patrick’s Day.”

Given that 37 people were arrested for public order offences on March 17 three years ago, and over 20 last year, Gardaí were delighted that there was so little trouble on Sunday.

An estimated 20,000 people lined the streets for the St Patrick’s Day parade, where the Guests of Honour were members of the Galway hurling teams who won an All-Ireland double in 1987 and 1988.

All of the players signed a large banner, which will be auctioned off for the Galway Hospice, before adjourning to The Skeff bar in Eyre Square to watch county champions St Thomas’ win the All-Ireland club title ‘live’ on television.

About 3,000 people took part in the parade, with the 40 members of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachussetts making a special presentation to the Mayor of Galway, Terry O’Flaherty, at the reviewing platform.

The presentation marked the 50th anniversary of the visit of then US President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, to Eyre Square in 1963.

A float featuring Big Jim Larkin, to mark the centenary of the infamous Dublin Lockout, received a rapturous reception in Galway after being deemed “inappropriate” for the Dublin parade. It was assembled by the not-for-profit Lifelong Learning organisation.

Representatives of all of the 14 Tribes of Galway led off the parade from Galway Fire Station to Eyre Square, marching behind huge banners which had been constructed for the parade.

“We had a really good crowd, and the community and school groups who took part really enjoyed themselves,” said parade organiser Caroline McDonagh.

She said that Jen Hesman had spent three weeks working with groups across the city on preparations for the Galway parade.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.