Galway City councillors have unanimously urged the Garda Commissioner to increase resources and redeploy officers from desk jobs at the regional headquarters to go on the beat to thwart street violence which has plagued the city in recent weeks.

They agreed to suspend normal business of this week’s Galway City Council meeting to debate the antisocial behaviour sparked by a feud among Traveller families which has been shared across the world in online videos.

Mayor Eddie Hoare called for calm among those behind the disorder and urged them to step back and consider their actions which had painted Galway in a bad light. It had left him as First Citizen and a proud Galwegian “disgusted”, he declared.

He told councillors that he been assured by Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche that a public order unit was on standby to deal with any further large-scale melee.

Cllr Frank Fahy (FG) said he had witnessed a mother with two small children racing to get out of harm’s way at the Galway Shopping Centre during the fracas last Sunday evening.

From his taxi he had also seen a group outside Garvey’s pub on Eyre Square with their tops off and fighting (pictured) in broad daylight.

“It’s unacceptable a small minority of people can hold our city to ransom . . . that small number should be rounded up and locked up.

“Where are all the naysayers jumping up and down looking for rights? Where is their condemnation? They are very silent. It’s going around the world that Galway is not safe,” he said.

Cllr Clodagh Higgins (FG) told the meeting that “true people of Galway” are “truly sound” who had won accolades over the years as the friendliest city in the world.

“What we witnessed this weekend isn’t our Galway.”

She tabled a motion that the Council condemned all acts of violence and antisocial behaviour on the streets of Galway and called on the Garda Commission to increase Garda resources and “immediately explore the redeployment of Gardaí from the North Western Regional Control based in Murrough and other ancillary office-related roles”.

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of Cllr Higgins’ motion and for Cllr Fahy’s motion calling for a special meeting between councillors with Chief Supt Roche.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the September 15 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.