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The crowds and misbehavior at some of Cork City’s most iconic beauty spots have “terrified” local residents this weekend, leaving some feeling “trapped” in their own homes.
A man was arrested today in Cork when the Gardaí responded to multiple calls about crowds gathering outside the city at hotspots like Kennedy Quay, Marina, Lough and Bell’s Field.
The man was arrested in connection with a public order incident and was taken to Bridewell Garda Station. He has since been released and will appear in court at a later date.
“We are like prisoners in our own homes,” said one elderly resident, who described the situation in Bell’s Field, an iconic greenbelt on the north side of the city, as “totally unacceptable.”
Another local resident said the unruly crowds were “a disgrace” and that he and his wife were fed up with people urinating in the street and being exposed to loud music, litter and general bad behavior.
Independent Councilor Ken O’Flynn has called for tighter surveillance of these areas to keep local residents safe and prevent a fourth wave of Covid-19 from wreaking havoc before the summer.
“I have received reports of people gathering at Farranree, Bell’s Field, Fitzgerald’s Park,” said Clr O’Flynn.
“We are sick of being trapped inside, we are all sick of being locked in. But there is a reason we are doing it, it is to try to keep people safe.
“I think the proverbial two fingers are being put into the hands of people who have lost loved ones, who have adhered to the guidelines, who have done everything right and behaved well.”
He urged people to think of them as the 89-year-old widow who called out to him through tears this week about the current situation before considering disobeying public health guidelines.
“I was crying on the phone saying how depressed I was. He was planning for his 90th birthday in August to have a big celebration, now that’s not going to happen. She said: ‘I have lost the last two years of my life. The worst part is, I don’t know if I’ll have another two years. ‘ Think of people like that, ”he said.
Bringing in the army to police parks and public services would be unconstitutional, he said, but he called for more rigorous surveillance of these areas to combat the problem of Gardaí quickly imposing sanctions on those who disobey the law.
“We have to have stricter controls in these public spaces,” he said.
“I don’t feel safe and many of my constituents don’t feel safe because of people not following the guidelines.
“Bell’s field is an ongoing problem, it’s a place well known to The Young Offenders. It’s an iconic display space, but because it’s so iconic, we now have people getting together and leaving their trash behind them.
“My constituents there tell me that they are terrified at home, they cannot sleep at night, they are afraid that their containers will be stolen. We had a case last week where people burned rolling containers. And you are not talking about 13 or 14 year olds. These people are adults.
“All these people deserve consequences because they are making fun of others,” he said.
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