Editorial: Why not here too?

What did you feel about the riots that suddenly engulfed Dublin last week? Could they happen here in Cork too?

The speed and ferocity of the lawlessness and the looting was truly shocking to me.

We haven’t seen anything like that in Ireland since perhaps the ill-fated Love Ulster parade riots that took place in Dublin in February 2006. That was a very contentious march on O’Connell Street organised by a controversial Unionist group seeking to commemorate Unionist victims of The Troubles.

The march was long signposted and it was inevitable that trouble would happen. When the gardaí attempted to disperse a group of counter demonstrators who were blocking part of the proposed route, it all kicked off. Local young people joined in and it escalated leading to the looting of shops and attacks on random people. There are some similarities with last week’s Dublin riots in that it is clear that things went out of control when local youths joined in with far right protestors and began looting shops and attacking vehicles.

But this protest and violent disorder was organised on the same day, which is much more concerning.

After a number of children and their carer were attacked by a foreign-born Irish national with a knife outside a school on Parnell Square in Dublin, protests were quickly organised. Gardaí have identified a sudden rise in abuse, threats and hate speech online from 1.30pm last Thursday, which is around the time 3 children and their carer were stabbed. A five year old girl remains in a critical condition in hospital, as well as the children’s carer.

You would have to say there is no particular reason why far-right orchestrated riots might happen in Dublin but not Cork. After all, a number of prominent far-right activists are themselves from Cork and they have been very active here in the last few years. Why not here too? To return to a more wholesome topic, you still have a chance to pick up tickets for the Lord Mayor’s Gala Christmas Concert, if you haven’t got any yet! It takes place this Saturday at 8pm with all proceeds going to local charities. There are some tickets still available at Pro Musica, Oliver Plunkett Street.

This year’s concert marks a milestone 61st year and will showcase a journey from opera through operetta to musical theatre, featuring a fantastic lineup including soloists Majella Cullagh, Karen Underwood, Simon Morgen and Christiana Underwood. Also performing will be the Cork Concert Orchestra, Joan Denise Moriarty School of Dance, Douglas ICA Choir, Carrigaline Singers and the newly formed Ukrainian Kalyna Choir. Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran McCarthy will also be taking to the stage, so it’s not to be missed!