Middle class youth run wild

Unshelved

From today's Independent -

Desmond son targeted as schools rugby rivalry boils over

Tom Lyons

FINANCIER Dermot Desmond's son Derry's property was deliberately targeted in a graffiti attack by a number of Blackrock College students.

A gang of three spray-painted at night a car parked in front of the billionaire's home in Ailesbury Road, Dublin 4.

The Blackrock pupils defaced the car because they believed it was owned by Derry Desmond, who is a star player with St Michael's, a rival Dublin schools' rugby team.

The 'Rock pupils were caught out when they were captured performing their act of vandalism on Mr Desmond's extensive CCTV security system.

The number 65 was daubed on the car, which was not owned by Derry, in reference to how many times Blackrock College hopes to have won the Leinster Senior Cup by the end of the team's current campaign.

This footage was forwarded to Blackrock College headmaster Alan McGinty.

Mr McGinty did not return calls yesterday.

The spray-paint incident is one of a number of worrying events that occurred recently involving Blackrock College students during its latest schools' rugby campaign.

Daubing

A few weeks ago pupils in the school are believed to have been behind daubing the walls of changing rooms at St Michael's School, also on Ailesbury Road.

An attempt was made to throw any possible investigation 'off the scent' by deliberately using the name of Clongowes College among the graffiti.

And last week in a further incident, an upmarket bar near Blackrock was forced to turf out more than a dozen Blackrock College pupils wearing school rugby jerseys.

This followed them becoming very intoxicated, loud and boisterous after their team's victory over Kilkenny College.

One of the Blackrock College pupils involved in defacing the car is the son of a prominent Dublin businessman. This businessman declined to comment yesterday.

The students involved in the incident are believed to have only been lightly disciplined by their prestigious school. Blackrock's next Senior Cup match takes place in Lansdowne Road on Friday when they play Belvedere, who narrowly edged the 'Rock out of last year's final.

Last year, Blackrock College beat St Michael's 20-13 in a closely fought battle in the quarter final of the Leinster Senior Cup in the latest instalment of rivalry between the schools.

© Irish Independent

In the light of the recent events in O'Connell Street, I'm kind of curious about this. I heard at least one commentator over the weekend make reference to a car being burned out after a school's rugby match recently, with little or no reaction in the media. (Is this true by the way, or was it just a throw-away comment with no basis in reality?).

Does this go on all the time? Surely it's as anti-social (albeit on a smaller scale) than the carry-on in Dublin over the weekend? When added to the death after a fight outside the Burlington some years ago, it doesn't bode well about the more privileged in our society.

For all the talk about "Celtic-wearing scumbags" on the boards recently, it would seem that some of those who have the advantage of wealth and education behind them aren't really any better.

Hobbes

The students involved in the incident are believed to have only been lightly disciplined by their prestigious school.

Wow its a good thing they were not black or asylum seekers or they would of given them free cars for thier actions. :v:

Unshelved

Hobbes wrote

Wow its a good thing they were not black or asylum seekers or they would of given them free cars for thier actions.

Sorry - I don't understand your point. What is it?

Hobbes

Unshelved wrote:

Hobbes wrote


Sorry - I don't understand your point. What is it?

Its based on other threads here. That the law are somehow soft on everyone except Irish people. However its clear Irish people get the breaks too. I don't know how these guys got away with a warning instead of a suspension. Any word on what criminal charges they are facing?

SpAcEd OuT

Unshelved wrote:

For all the talk about "Celtic-wearing scumbags" on the boards recently, it would seem that some of those who have the advantage of wealth and education behind them aren't really any better.

the people involved in the dublin riots attacked garda, smashed up shops, burnt out cars, looted and assualted people.

the people involved in this article, spray painted on a few walls in Micheals and defaced a car, as in sprayed it and maybe added some tissue.

under the circumstances I think the 'celtic-wearing scumbags' were much worse behaved

this article is blown completely out of proportion how the fact that some kids spray painted a schools wall deserves an article in the indo is beyond me.

Tom65

I'm in one of the schools in question, and I think it's a bit much. I mean, I really don't like the whole schools rugby rivalry because it produces stupid incidents such as this, or the Anabel's case. Nor do I like the people involved in this particular article (yes, I know who they are).
However, I very much doubt it deserves a big article on page three of a national newspaper. Within the certain media there is a definate prejudice against D4/Rugby schools, just because they're easy prey.

For the record, as far as I'm aware, the burned out car thing isn't true.

John_C

Also, the door of a toilet cubicle in UCD was defaced recently by an unknown student, possibly of a wealthy background, who made slanderous comments about a class-mate's physical appearance. This student attempted to throw any investigation 'off the scent' by signing the psudonem 'Pat Patterson', a fictional student.

I say bring back hanging!!

Snickers Man

There is no comparison between what you describe and the wanton violence that took place in Dublin last aturday. Seen the Crimewatch footage of the Chineses shopkeepers in WEstland Row getting bottled because they tried to stop some scumbag stealing booze from their shop?

Were they Rock/Clongowes/Michael's boys?

I doubt it.

segadreamcast

Er, everybody (!) get off your high horses here.

Scum manifests itself in all walks of life - regardless of race or, indeed, class. Now calm down and talk about the issue at hand ...



... This is a bit ridiculous alright. One side of me wants to say "boys will be boys" but, really, it does seem as though they are being let off because of their financial status. If a similar incident had happened in, say, a lower-middle class school, would they be let off as softly? How about a lower-class school? Hm.

casanova_kid

Yeah, but there wasn't thousands of them.

Ag marbh

There is scumbags on both sides of Dublin and for anyone to think different would be naive and stupid.

Captain Trips

Unshelved wrote:

From today's Independent -


For all the talk about "Celtic-wearing scumbags" on the boards recently, it would seem that some of those who have the advantage of wealth and education behind them aren't really any better.

Except far less liklihood to be involved in antisocial behaviour? The above is really just anecdotal, and spray painting is not a riot.

segadreamcast

Captain Trips wrote:

Except far less liklihood to be involved in antisocial behaviour? The above is really just anecdotal, and spray painting is not a riot.

And then, on the other hand, you have many middle-class people protesting at Shannon for instance. Christ, I thought the lower-class people were being paranoid - but some of you genuinely do seem to hold the belief that working-class people are, in terms other than socio-economic, actually below middle-class people. For shame.

steviec

NoelRock wrote:

If a similar incident had happened in, say, a lower-middle class school, would they be let off as softly? How about a lower-class school? Hm.

Yes, yes they would. There'd be no fuss made about it whatsoever.

The stuff in the article is nothing, and is only making the news because its middle class people, newspapers are being prejudiced against them because their middle class.

In my area nobody batted an eyelid at broken windows and vandalism, and it certainly didn't make the newspaper when some kids drew graffiti on other peoples property.

constitutionus

ya have to admit though there is some weird thing going on at the moment where rich kids, and im not talking middle class im talking major money and influence, are dressing like knackers and hanging around rough areas starting fights and beating up passerbys, case in point that liberarian that was kicked into a coma by one of our up and comming atheletes (cant remember weather it was golf or tennis ). i mean what are they, ashamed of they're back round or something?

are we seeing some kinda social backlash where well off kids are acting like scumbags in order to validate their masculintiy/femininity?

Cronus333

constitutionus wrote:

ya have to admit though there is some weird thing going on at the moment where rich kids, and im not talking middle class im talking major money and influence, are dressing like knackers and hanging around rough areas starting fights and beating up passerbys, case in point that liberarian that was kicked into a coma by one of our up and comming atheletes (cant remember weather it was golf or tennis ). i mean what are they, ashamed of they're back round or something?

are we seeing some kinda social backlash where well off kids are acting like scumbags in order to validate their masculintiy/femininity?

I personally think its an upper class teenage sub culture, much like emo kids are.

Sangre

School rivalry gone too far.
They didn't get off lightly because they're rich they got off because they're players on the rugby team.
Really is getting ridiculous the media focus on Dublin private schools.

nlgbbbblth

Compare two cases

- Anabels: Four posh boys with no previous convictions kill one of their contemporaries. Get quite lenient sentences. Media uproar all through the trial. Constant focus on their upbringing/backgrounds with the emphasis that they should have known better etc.

- New Ross: Eight working class dudes from tough estates and a prior reputation for being pricks kill a Swedish flower seller. I know this because I grew up there. Get even lighter sentences. No media uproar bar cursory reporting of the case. No focus whatsoever on their backgrounds.

DadaKopf

Yes, bubblebath, I concur. Indeed.

Anyway...


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA @ Michael's/Rock scum. Rock suck cock. And Michael's kids are mostly a load of tossers. I should know, technically I was one. But especially HAHAHAs at the Rock losers for not copping (a) the Desmonds protect their cars - and their granny - behind big tall gates, and (b) the property and area out the front is surveilled by big huge security cameras. I hope they get what they deserve.

Bleedin idiots who think juvenile tribalism and all the stupid crap that goes with it is more important than growing up, or at least treating people with a bit of bleedin' respect. I hope they just grow up sooner rather than later.

It's public school for my kids.

DadaKopf

Also, seriously, what is it about New Ross? I mean, it seems more mental people come from there than anywhere else. Herv's an exception.

nlgbbbblth

DadaKopf wrote:

Also, seriously, what is it about New Ross? I mean, it seems more mental people come from there than anywhere else. Herv's an exception.

What about me?

You know Herv?

WARMDUSCHER

DadaKopf

Oh, I forgot. You're OK, too. I liked your 'zines.

Serious though, New Ross really seems like an unhinged place. What's the story with it?

Binomate

Fucking retards. Why on earth would you vandalise someone's property at all, let alone over a game? I really don't mind rugby, it's just the stuck up cock munchers in Dublin who play the game. This gives me even more reason to dislike them.

nlgbbbblth

DadaKopf wrote:

Oh, I forgot. You're OK, too. I liked your 'zines.

Thank you. That seems like many years ago.

DadaKopf wrote:

Serious though, New Ross really seems like an unhinged place. What's the story with it?

Consistently high unemployment.
Lack of industrial investment.
Lack of amenities for young people.
Three particularly bad estates.
Inadequately policed.
A general sense of rural closemindedness.
With Waterford being so close there's a 'why bother' attitude there.

On the upside - there was always a good punk scene.
And despite its faults its the only place I consider 'home' even though I haven't lived there since 1991.

segadreamcast

steviec wrote:

Yes, yes they would. There'd be no fuss made about it whatsoever.

The stuff in the article is nothing, and is only making the news because its middle class people, newspapers are being prejudiced against them because their middle class.

In my area nobody batted an eyelid at broken windows and vandalism, and it certainly didn't make the newspaper when some kids drew graffiti on other peoples property.

I don't ask such questions unless I have an answer of course. A similar incident happened here in a local school - two pupils decided to scratch another pupils car quite severely. Anyway, civil proceedures were taken against them, they were ordered to pay, and both were suspended for two weeks. Lower/Lower-middle class school in the Finglas area. Now, sorry, what was your point?

Sure - the media are picking up on it. Why? Because the school are doing SFA about it.

A Dub in Glasgo

Criminal damage is passed off as 'so what'? Strange view on law breaking some people have.

John_C

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

Criminal damage is passed off as 'so what'? Strange view on law breaking some people have.

Criminal damage happens every day of the week. There's no reason why this incident was in the papers and other similar incidents weren't except that there's a famous person and a sports team loosely involved.

gurramok

John_C wrote:

Criminal damage happens every day of the week. There's no reason why this incident was in the papers and other similar incidents weren't except that there's a famous person and a sports team loosely involved.

Exactly, the media report on middle class violence extensively as it happens in the journalists backyard, you wouldn't hear of any media journalists living in deprived areas hence the lack of interest plus their snobbiness.

I still haven't read/seen the reports of any of the hundreds of violent incidents that have happened in my area in last 5 years including 2 riots nearly on an equal footing with those last Saturday bar the numbers involved.

Maybe its a good thing thats it's not reported as the less publicity of an area gets, it usually looks good:)

I now know that Ailesbury Road is a dangerous area to be avoided due to the ongong thuggery thanks to the media:D