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The alcohol-related chaos in Kerry over the weekend has been criticized by authorities.
Videos circulating on social media showed large numbers of revelers singing and drinking on the streets of the Killarney vacation hotspot.
Drinking gangs, many of whom are believed to be tourists, can be seen singing on Main Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, completely ignoring social distancing guidelines.
Killarney Mayor Brendan Cronin has criticized the scenes, saying they were like “showing two fingers” to those who follow public health guidelines.
He said: “At a time when we cannot go to see a football game, when weddings are postponed and other family occasions are postponed, the behavior that was seen last night in our town was nothing less than showing two fingers to everyone. those who have invested a lot of time and effort to make Killarney safe.
“Those who decided to use the defibrillator box as their ‘stage’ last night need to publicly apologize for this disrespect shown.
“I call on An Garda Siochana to redouble its efforts to ensure that a similar large gathering like this does not happen again.”
A spokesperson for the Vintners Federation of Ireland said: “The VFI has reiterated its call for the full force of the law to be applied to any pub violating the guidelines following several incidents in Killarney on Saturday night, involving large groups of people gathered in the streets in contravention of all current protocols.
“While the exact nature of what occurred prior to the incidents that appeared on social media remains unclear, the VFI supports the introduction of new legislation that will give Gardai the powers to close deals that violate the guidelines.”
It comes as the government said gardai will receive tough new powers to shut down bars that break Ireland’s coronavirus rules.
Fines of up to € 2,500 or a maximum of six months in prison will be the sanction if bars that violate social distancing regulations refuse to close for one day.
Closure orders can be issued by a district court resulting in the closure of a pub for up to 30 days.
A spokeswoman for An Garda Siochana said: “An Garda Síochána is aware of a video circulating on social media highlighting the activities of a crowd gathered on a Killarney street last night, Saturday 29 August 2020.
“An Garda Síochána does not comment on an excerpt from audio / video sequences, the timeline and context of which cannot be determined.”
And Paul Sherry, president of the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, said he was “disappointed” by the behavior.
He said: “The Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce is very disappointed and upset by the antics and behavior of a group of people who blatantly ignored social distancing requirements on city streets in the early hours of Sunday morning. .
“An overwhelming majority of people in Killarney and businesses in the city have adhered to the public health guidelines and restrictions introduced by the Government and the Health Services Executive during the course of the pandemic.
“It is disappointing that some people find it appropriate to act irresponsibly with little or no respect for others.”
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