Garda warning over student street melee

January 2003

Students at four Wexford secondary schools have been warned by gardaí that they will not tolerate any repeat of unruly behaviour, following incidents last week that involved at least 50 teenagers.

‘We won’t be tolerating this. We’ll enforce the provisions of the Public Order Act,’ said Sgt. Mick Walsh.

He said the gardaí had contacted the principals at St. Peter’s College, the CBS Secondary School, the Presentation, and the VEC, following trouble last Wednesday and the threat of more on Thursday, apparently sparked by ‘a boyfriend-girlfriend scenario’.

‘We appraised the principals of the situation,’ said Sgt. Walsh, adding that at lunchtime on Thursday, seven officers were dispatched following reports that groups of school-goers were apparently heading for Summerhill for a fresh confrontation.

‘They heeded our advice to return to school,’ said the sergeant, adding that gardaí carried on their patrols over the following days as well, to prevent any further trouble.

‘Thankfully things have now quietened down,’ he said.

Sgt. Walsh said that on Wednesday, at least 50 youngsters, aged between 14 and 16, were involved in what he called ‘a melee’.

He said gardaí had subsequently heard ‘through the grapevine’ that some individuals were assaulted, although it wasn’t clear when or where these alleged incidents occurred, or exactly how serious they were.

‘We have not had any formal complaints of assault so far, and we would advise anyone who was assaulted to contact us,’ he said.