Halloween street battles between rival groups from Cos Tipperary and Offaly resulted in six young men being given custodial sentences yesterday.
Gardaí recalled at Birr District Court how various "running battles" involving a large group of men from the towns of Birr and Roscrea erupted in the Co Offaly town last Halloween night.
The court heard that the battles raged for 50 minutes in the early hours of Monday, November 1st, despite efforts by several gardaí to calm the situation.
Insp Tom Mooney of Birr Garda station said the two groups from the different counties did not meet eye-to-eye. When full with drink they more or less took the law into their own hands.
Judge Michael Reilly said it was a case where a number of young people were totally out of control.
Paul McNamara (19), of Brophy's Terrace, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, and Paul Shortt (20), of Fairview, Birr, Co Offaly, were each sentenced to two months' detention in St Patrick's Institution for their part in the row.
One month's detention in the same institution was handed down to two other defendants: Shane Flanagan (18), of Killeen, Riverstown, Birr, and Mark Whelehan (19), of Park Rise, Moorpark, Birr.
Two other men, Daniel Carroll (22), of Bulfin Park, Birr, and George Kennedy (28), of Sandymount Avenue, Birr, were each sentenced to a month's imprisonment in Mountjoy.
Sgt John Mahon said the fighting between the two groups in Emmet Square in Birr was unusual in that the trouble continued to flare despite the efforts of gardaí to calm the situation. He said he saw Kennedy making efforts to free another person from Garda custody. "He refused to listen because the scent of battle was in the air and he continued to wrangle to get another man freed."
Garda Gerry Quirke said he saw Shane Flanagan punching another youth on the back of the head. Flanagan continued to swing blows, and McNamara was also swinging punches. "We tried to separate the different factions, but running battles went on from 1.50 a.m. to 2.40 a.m."
Garda Brian Cunningham said he saw Carroll and Whelehan repeatedly punching individuals.