Call for 'aggressive seizure of alcohol' after public order incident at ...

Gardaí were called to the incident at the Burrow Beach in Sutton following reports of a mass brawl.

Video footage emerged online, which showed the violent scenes as they unfolded on the packed beach.

A garda spokeswoman said officers responded to a public order incident on the beach yesterday evening.

"Uniform gardaí from the Raheny District and the Public Order Unit attended the scene. A large number of people who were gathered on the beach have been dispersed from the area,” she said.

"No arrests have been made at this time. Enquiries are ongoing.”

She said gardaí do no comment on “third party social media”.

Dublin Fingal Labour Councillor Brian McDonagh said the beach has become increasingly busy in recent years and “overcrowding” and “antisocial behaviour” are growing matters for concern.

"We have had increasing problems over the last few years that can be put down to two main issues and they’re overcrowding. So, there's been instances where people have been blocked in and also having difficulties of access for emergency services,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“Antisocial behaviour is the second main one and that's predominantly related to alcohol, alcohol on the beaches. We have bylaws, preventing alcohol, and I think what we need is aggressive seizure of alcohol on beaches. I’m not normally puritanical, but unfortunately it's gotten to the stage where on any of our beaches – and it looked like a mass brawl there yesterday – this can and does happen, unfortunately, every year in a different location.”

Mr McDonagh called for an “increased presence of gardaí” and for officers to “proactively seize alcohol”.

He said very busy beaches should also be policed in the same way as other large public events – such as “concerts or a street festival” – to protect members of the public.

"I’m not second guessing policing on this, but I do know that on Portmarnock and on Burrow Beach and on other beaches, we have a proliferation, it sort of gradually starts with people drinking on the beach.

"That starts as me maybe thinking I’m fine, I’m able to have a glass of wine, but we need to have a position where people don’t bring alcohol to the beach because they know that it will be seized.”

Yesterday evening, gardaí from the Raheny District maintained a presence in the area of Burrow Beach as part of “ongoing high-visibility patrols under Operation Irene” the Garda spokeswoman added.

“Gardaí in Raheny are appealing to any person who may have information in relation to this incident to contact them in Raheny garda station on 01 666 4300, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.”

Litter at the Sutton beach is also an ongoing issue during busy days.

The Howth Tidy Towns group posted a video online yesterday evening showing the large amount of rubbish that was left behind.

In a message posted with the video on Twitter, a spokesperson for the group said volunteers had to collect waste from as far down as the tideline.

"This is so depressing. Our Karolina & Eoin are litterpicking along the tideline to save the sea from claiming the plastic, bottles, cans etc. Please, please never leave your rubbish on the beach if the bin is full,” they wrote.