Groups of friends and families met to chat and picnic in the green areas of Dublin’s south city centre yesterday afternoon, only hours after gardaí were deployed in the same area. There were crowds of people in small groups near Grafton Street, chatting and laughing, while shoppers strolled in the surrounding streets. There was no evidence of the previous night’s disturbances, when members of the Garda Public Order Unit had to take action against anti-social behaviour. Fourteen people were arrested on the streets on Friday night for public order offences, but yesterday afternoon’s atmosphere was relaxed as people enjoyed the bank holiday weekend. “It’s great to be able to come back into the city centre again and have life get back to normal,” Edel said.

Source: Irish Independent June 06, 2021 01:30 UTC