Galway Violence

Cole

I was listening to Myles Dungan on Radio 1 yesterday morning and he interviewed a man who witnessed an attack on a Polish guy in Eyre Square on Sunday afternoon.

This was followed up with an interview with a 19 year old Irish guy from Galway this morning. He was attacked at a chip shop around Dominick Street on Saturday night and had his jaw broken.

I think what instigated the first story was the fact that someone could be violently attacked while he was lying on the ground in a very busy public area, with children and families around. The Garda presence around the city centre and response was criticised..they were not prepared to take any action against the perpetrators (who were still on the square) unless the victim made a complaint. Unfortunately, he was lying in a semi conscious, bloodied state on the ground!

The second interview also showed the Gardai in a bad light. I know there are two sides to every story, but for me, it did ring true with regard to the really poor visibility/activity of Gardai in Galway.

Aurora Borealis

Chip shops after hours and Eyre square are to be avoided like the plague in my opinion. If I do feel a drunken food attack coming on I try to get in and out fairly lively. It's a jungle out there and the Gardaí can't be everywhere. I do think the way the Gardaí organize their shifts could better. It seems ridiculous to me that there would be an equal number of officers on duty at noon on a Tuesday as there would be at 3am on a Saturday night. It’s a nationwide pattern and somewhat illogical to my mind.

I do find it difficult to believe the Gardaí would not take some action if they witnessed a bloody attack as described. Perhaps they only came on the scene after the crime was perpetrated.

Black_Knight

Sunday evening in Eyre Square, 1 guy had a bit of blood on his shirt, was looking to get back at the other guy (both in groups of lads). The 2 of em set up a propper fight, and went for it. The guards were about 50 meters away, didnt see it. Eventaully as the strolled up towards the lads (the fight had just ended) they didnt seem to make a whole hill of beans of it. Just talked to them for a minute or two and that was that!
Both the guys had a nice ammount of blood on their clothes as the guards were talking to them, but apparently thats ok....

the whole year inn

I seen a girl get bottled down at the arch the other night,it was some dirty knacker who was trying to get some fight going but everyone was laughing at him cos he was a weed and 16 or so,he then just fired the bottle and took off running.Im pretty sure the lads caught him so Id say he got a good beating.

The gaurds did come but we rang for a ambulance and that never came.

Some people just go out looking for a fight its a disgrace!

ronnie3585

A mate of mine told me that some chap was killed after a fight outside Sally's last week, is this true?

ronnie3585

ronnie3585 wrote: »

A mate of mine told me that some chap was killed after a fight outside Sally's last week, is this true?

Doubt it. There would've been a thread here about it certainly.

snubbleste

A mate of mine told me that some chap was killed after a fight outside Sally's last week, is this true?

Killed is such a strong word.

There was an assault there on July 19th where a man received injuries to the head. It is thought that these injuries led to his death at home a few days later. Gardai are still looking for witnesses.
http://www.galwayfirst.ie/content/view/3345/1005/

the whole year inn

Yea I heard about that,There was loads of Guards outs side sally stoping taxis cars asking where we in the area last week and did we see any thing

kellyreilly

The guy at Sally's got a bit of a beating and left with a bit of a bruised head.

3 days later he drowned in his bath. It's believed the weekend beating caused him to pass out in the bath.

So the guy who was involved in a scrap could end up being charged with manslaughter

51fun

jez whats going on why has the streets of galway become so violent the last few years ? scary stuff.:(

Krieg

I was listening to keith finnegan on galway bay fm this week (Dont judge me! I just wanted to hear racing highlights while I worked) and for the last 3 mornings he has been reading out all the violence storys from the day previous, which was pretty shocking.

From going around town recently I would have said there was enough garda presence because every street, I saw a patrol. But judging from all the crap Im hearing, I wonder...

Anyway, despite all this, we are far from the same level as dublin or limerick. In fact everyone I know who has grown up another county and come here, has said that Galway has by far the least amount of scumbags then another town in Ireland.

SimpleSam06

Krieg wrote: »

Anyway, despite all this, we are far from the same level as dublin or limerick. In fact everyone I know who has grown up another county and come here, has said that Galway has by far the least amount of scumbags then another town in Ireland.

Yeah, but you get a lot of semi civilised country lads coming in looking for trouble too, they dock up from every corner of the west during the weekends and let their upbringing hang out for all to see.

On the plus side, there was a massive garda presence out on Monday (not past 1am mind you) supplemented by private security forces. Felt like I was walking through a yellow jacket convention in Quay street. What a state of affairs.

Cole

Krieg wrote: »

Anyway, despite all this, we are far from the same level as dublin or limerick. In fact everyone I know who has grown up another county and come here, has said that Galway has by far the least amount of scumbags then another town in Ireland.

Agreed, but the guy who was interviewed by Myles Dungan made the point that he was lulled into a false sense of security by the 'safe' Galway reputation. I hope this is not the approach the Gardai take.

As he said, you start to factor in a violent incident possibly occurring when heading out for the night.

galah

I think Galway is usually fairly safe - but the Races/Arts Festival bring out the worst every year. Must be all those people not from here who are causing the trouble...

padi89

galah wrote: »

I think Galway is usually fairly safe - but the Races/Arts Festival bring out the worst every year. Must be all those people not from here who are causing the trouble...

Sorry Galah but that is absolute rubbish of the highest order.For the thousands of people that descend on the town for the two festivals the crime rate is very,very low.

Steyr

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Yeah, but you get a lot of semi civilised country lads coming in looking for trouble too, they dock up from every corner of the west during the weekends and let their upbringing hang out for all to see.

On the plus side, there was a massive garda presence out on Monday (not past 1am mind you) supplemented by private security forces. Felt like I was walking through a yellow jacket convention in Quay street. What a state of affairs.

Yeah they were enforcing the No Glass outside pubs rule, myself and Ken did most of town that night the streets were sound, good vibes.

ronnie3585

snubbleste wrote: »

Killed is such a strong word.

There was an assault there on July 19th where a man received injuries to the head. It is thought that these injuries led to his death at home a few days later. Gardai are still looking for witnesses.
http://www.galwayfirst.ie/content/view/3345/1005/

Yea after reading that killed was the wrong word to use. It's amazing how these stories can grow legs.

Zzippy

galah wrote: »

I think Galway is usually fairly safe - but the Races/Arts Festival bring out the worst every year. Must be all those people not from here who are causing the trouble...

Yeah, I hear the Arts Festival really attracts a lot of scumbags to Galway alright! :rolleyes:

Ronanom

Deleted User wrote: »

Doubt it. There would've been a thread here about it certainly.

Yea, because here is where the breaking news happens.

john concannon

This country is getting worse its not just Galway.

Climate Expert

john concannon wrote: »

This country is getting worse its not just Galway.

Not according to the statistics, no.

utick

relax lads its galway its hardly a high crime area, little bits happen everywhere but it doesnt get much safer than galway

Fer_

I've been in Galway for eight months and I've found the town really safe and nice.

Believe me, you guys don't want to know what a place with high violence and criminality is...

galah

Zzippy wrote: »

Yeah, I hear the Arts Festival really attracts a lot of scumbags to Galway alright! :rolleyes:

well it's true - the Arts Festival attracts tourists, which in turn attracts scumbags...

MattKid

I've always felt safe in Galway

Zzippy

galah wrote: »

well it's true - the Arts Festival attracts tourists, which in turn attracts scumbags...

Is that a law of nature or something? :rolleyes:

Fey!

Irish Times 31/07/08 wrote:

Galway violence overstated, say gardaí

GARDAÍ IN Galway have said that violent assaults in the city are "no worse than anywhere else" in populated urban areas of the State.

Chief Supt Tom Curley of Galway West division was responding to concerns about police resourcing and deployment, following several assaults in Galway city centre over the past week.

In one incident early last Sunday, two young men from the city required hospital treatment for a broken jaw and broken nose respectively after an unprovoked attack on Dominick Street, while a Polish man was reportedly attacked on the same day in Eyre Square.

Chief Supt Curley said that the Eyre Square incident had been blown out of proportion and the victim had failed to make a statement to gardaí. It was not true to say that the man had been knocked unconscious when a row broke out among a group of people who had been drinking together, he said.

However, officers were investigating the incident on Dominick Street and would be examining CCTV camera footage in an effort to identify those responsible. The two men who were injured had reported the case to the Garda and statements were being taken, he said.

One of the two, a 19-year-old Salthill resident, said that although he was happy the matter was being investigated, gardaí had not responded when initially called.

He described how he was with a group of friends who had left a licensed premises after one drink as they had no money. They then went to buy a takeaway in Dominick Street in the early hours of last Sunday morning.

Two men in a group of seven had approached them and he and his friend were attacked.

"I walked to Mill Street Garda station, which is around the corner, to report it and was advised to return to the area to await gardaí as they were very busy.

"At that stage I knew I was injured but didn't realise how badly, while my friend had already been taken to casualty," he told The Irish Times .

He said no patrol car arrived and he was taken by friends to hospital, where he underwent surgery for a broken jaw.

Central Statistics Office (CSO) quarterly crime figures published yesterday show that reported public order offences have continued to rise in the Galway West division, which includes Galway city and the west of the county.

Some 332 such offences were reported in the first quarter of 2004, compared with 715 for the first quarter of 2008 and 668 for the second quarter.

Harassment and related offences have also increased substantially, according to statistics for the division. Nationally, the CSO reports a slight drop in public order and other social code offences for this quarter.

Chief Supt Curley said that between 16,000 and 18,000 young people socialised in Galway, which was known as a young person's city, every weekend.

"We are not denying that assaults take place, but it is no worse than other cities given its population," he said.

© 2008 The Irish Times

Link: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0731/1217368678006.html