Three gardai injured in riot at dance festival

Three gardaí were treated in a Dublin hospital after a riot broke out at a dance festival on Dollymount Strand yesterday evening. A number of Garda vehicles were damaged by youths throwing rocks and glass bottles.

The riot squad was called in after the gang fighting broke out at about 6 p.m. Two units of Dublin Fire Brigade were also called on to extinguish grass fires which had been deliberately set by some of the rioters.

The Garda said the trouble was started by a group of about 50 youths who had been drinking heavily throughout the afternoon. Some of those attending the event said that at one point up to 500 party-goers had become involved in the riot.

A number of arrests were made and nine people were still being held last night at Clontarf and Raheny Garda stations.

The injured gardaí were treated at Beaumont Hospital and discharged last night. Their injuries were not believed to be serious.

Garda checkpoints had been set up last night at the entrance and exit points to the beach as officers interviewed people.

There were lengthy tailbacks for more than three hours after the event ended. Mobile patrols were also active on the seafront leading back into the city as gardaí in 4x4 vehicles stopped cars coming from the event.

The dance festival was run by MTV, 2FM and HB, the ice-cream company. It started at noon and finished at 5 p.m. Several thousand people attended. The trouble began as revellers were making their way home at about 6 p.m.

Two groups became involved in violent clashes and when gardaí moved in to break up the disturbances, the groups turned on them and were joined by hundreds of others, according to witnesses. The initial clashes were organised gang fights, gardaí said.

"Just as the guards sorted out one row, others broke out all over the place," said one man, "and when the crowds turned against the guards a lot of others joined in. The guards really didn't stand a chance. There were a lot of people with young kids so most of them were just trying to get out of the place quickly."

Another woman said between 15 and 20 Garda cars and vans arrived on the scene within minutes with reinforcements.

"A lot of people were throwing bottles and they were hitting the guards. A few of their cars got smashed up. There were a good few smashed windows on the cars. But it didn't break up for a good while, it must have kept going for almost an hour. It got out of hand very fast and when that happened all hell broke loose. There were lots of glass bottles around the place."

Others leaving the beach at 8.30 p.m. said they had remained on because they feared making their way home any earlier.

At least a dozen members of the riot squad could be seen checking vehicles and searching sections of the crowd who had remained at the site until then.

A number of other Garda vans were also carrying out mobile patrols on Dollymount Strand.