GARDAI CALLED TO KIDS ‘MINI EUROS’
Two gangs of youths spark violence from pitch sidelines
TWO gangs of youths kicked off a mass brawl after trouble broke out at a kids “Mini Euros” and gardai were called.
Children as young as five were taking part in the tournament in Portrane, North County Dublin, when the teens erupted from the sidelines – and parents threatened to intervene. Less than 24 hours later two rival gangs of youths descended on a housing estate in nearby Donabate for a mass brawl which had been organised on social media. Locals are now calling for a visible Garda presence amid fears the North County Dublin peninsula is a soft target for “Fight Club” style violence. Fianna Fail Cllr Adrian Henchy said: “The tournament is a fantastic event and the fact it was disrupted by unruly behaviour is not only sad but also totally unacceptable. There’s been a significant escalation in youths coming in by train and bus as well as a few locals causing trouble. “We need more gardai on the beat.” Gardai received 30 calls from concerned residents within the space of 10 minutes as teens who arrived by train from Balbriggan clashed with local teens on the green at Beverton estate last Thursday. Two squad cars and a Garda van were on the scene within minutes and after dispersing the gangs they escorted visitors back to the train station. There were no arrests. This is the latest in a string of violent clashes between gangs who travel to the village for pre-arranged fights.