Gardaí attend public order incident during college RAG Week in Limerick

GARDAÍ have confirmed they attended a public order incident in Limerick during college Charity Week, better known as RAG Week.

Videos circulating on social media of a crowded house party in the College Court area of Castletroy last week have attracted much attention online, prompting the University of Limerick (UL) to issue a statement in relation to "off-campus behaviour".

It is understood hundreds of students attended one particular house party which had an outdoor DJ and saw students dancing on rooftops in the estate close to UL.

In reply to a query from Limerick Live, a statement from An Garda Síochana confirmed: "Gardaí received a report of a public order incident that occurred on Thursday, February 27 in the Castletroy area, Limerick at approximately 8:30pm.

"No offences have been disclosed at this time," they said.

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"The University of Limerick strongly promotes responsible community engagement and is aware that there have been instances of off-campus behaviour that have caused concern among our neighbours and the wider community," said a statement from UL.

"UL has a community liaison framework in place designed specifically to facilitate dialogue between residents, the off-campus student body, landlords and relevant stakeholders. 

"This includes a community liaison officer whose role is to respond directly to complaints and incidents arising in the local community with the assistance of gardaí where necessary. In addition, the Community Liaison Committee facilitates regular and open dialogue with local community representatives and relevant stakeholders.

"There are mechanisms within the university student code of conduct for breaches of the code to be dealt with and complaints made to the university about individuals are taken very seriously."

UL said that students have been "urged to be mindful of their actions and the impact they have on the community around them".

"Anti-social behaviour not only affects the immediate community but also reflects on the entire student body," the statement said.

The UL statement outlined how they helped facilitate extra garda patrols during Charity Week, while also working with Student Life and residents’ associations to promote respect, responsibility and positive engagement.

The statememt concludined that UL will continue to work with educational colleagues in TUS and MIC, An Garda Siochana and Limerick City and County Council to ensure that the community remains a welcoming and enjoyable place for all its residents.