Updated 13.20

GARDAÍ ARE APPEALING for witnesses following a brawl at the Forty Foot swimming area in Sandycove yesterday evening.

Three people were arrested and five other people were hospitalised for their injuries in what gardaí are describing as a serious incident of public order.

One local TD has called for activity on the DART to be monitored to take preventative action against gangs travelling along the coast.

The fight which broke out between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock last night led to five people being treated in the nearby St Vincent’s Hospital. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

The three people arrested were all men and ranged in age from 22 to 33. One man was questioned over drug offences and released.

The other two men were detained for public order offences, believed to be intoxication in a public place.  One was released in the early hours of this morning and a file is being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The final man is still in custody in Dún Laoghaire.

Labour councillor for Dún Laoghaire Stephen Fitzpatrick described the incident as a ‘brawl’.

At least some of the group involved are believed to have travelled to the area by DART to take advantage of the sunny weather, the councillor said.

Fine Gael TD for the area Mary Mitchell O’Connor said people on the DART should be monitored to prevent them from congregating in the seaside area:

Very often gangs travel out along the coast on the DART and local community gardaí have no indication of where they may be headed and in which town they may alight.

“Even if the guards at Glasthule, for example, are ready for a gang, the trouble-makers may decide, at the last minute, to continue further along the line to an area where Gardaí may not be expecting them,” she said.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact Dun Laoghaire Garda station at 666 5000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.