Gardaí make 90 arrests over four days at Oxegen music festival

GARDAÍ MADE a total of 90 arrests connected with the Oxegen music festival in Co Kildare at the weekend, including a number for…

GARDAÍ MADE a total of 90 arrests connected with the Oxegen music festival in Co Kildare at the weekend, including a number for assault, theft and drink-driving.

In addition, there were some 308 drug seizures, with 28 arrests for alleged drug dealing.

In a statement, the Garda Press Office outlined a number of incidents that occurred between 10am last Thursday and 6am yesterday.

Of the 90 arrests, 21 were for public order offences and eight for assaults. Twelve arrests related to thefts. There were three arrests for road traffic offences and 15 for alleged drunk driving. A total of 1,450 drivers were breath-tested by gardaí at mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints.

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Three arrests were categorised as being for “other” offences.

Of the total 308 drug seizures, 28 arrests were for alleged dealing under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. The other 280 seizures related to simple possession under section 3 of the Act.

Last year, gardaí reported no major incidents at the festival. The number of arrests and drug seizures at the festival in 2010 was slightly higher, at 125 and 360 respectively.

Last night gardaí had not made any arrests over an incident on Saturday night in which five teenagers suffered slash wounds.

One of the men, a 19-year-old from Co Tyrone, was treated in hospital after being stabbed in the neck, although his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The other four men were treated on site for slash wounds to their faces and arms.

Three of them are from Co Derry and the other is from Co Wexford.

Gardaí thanked the “many thousands of well-behaved fans” for their co-operation over the weekend, which they said ensured an enjoyable event.

They said the park-and-ride facility proved “very successful” and that no significant traffic congestion was encountered.

Gardaí also thanked the residents of Punchestown areas “for their patience and co-operation”.

The clean-up of the Punchestown site was under way yesterday.Fire crews could be seen extinguishing the remains of tents, which some revellers had set on fire prior to their departure.