Disco cancelled after stabbing

October 1983

A teenage disco in Bray last Saturday night had to be cancelled after an incident in which a youth was stabbed.

The 18-year-old was not seriously injured in the row at St Fergal’s Parish Hall, Ballywaltrim, but the function had to be called off to allow a search for the knife used in the incident.

The organisers of the weekly event have cancelled tomorrow night’s disco in the wake of the stabbing, but promised that it will be resuming next weekend under stricter control.

Committee member Mr John Behan said they were seriously concerned over the incident and they had cancelled tomorrow night’s disco to allow reorganisation of the event.

‘Although the youth was not seriously injured in the stabbing, we were forced to discontinue the disco because the knife was lying around the hall. We gave everyone their money back and searched for and recovered the knife,’ he said.

‘Only a small number were involved in this incident and most people there were well behaved. We will be re-opening with stricter control of the event in future. We will be more selective about who is admitted.’

Mr Behan said that a search had been carried out on those admitted to the disco on Saturday, but the knife used had gotten through.

He added that pressure had been put on him to permanently cancel the disco, butt this was not planned as he and the committee felt that it provided an important social outlet.