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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said he will attend a public rally against violence in Drogheda on Saturday.
The rally is being held following the gruesome murder of 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods who was dismembered.
The murder is believed to be connected to a local feud.
The Mayor of Drogheda confirmed last week that he will hold a rally in the town to allow people to articulate how they feel about the ongoing feud and the killing of the teenager.
When asked by reporters today about the really, Varadkar confirmed that he would be in attendance.
“I do intend to be there,” Varadkar said.
“My office is in discussions with the Mayor of Drogheda just on the arrangements because I do want to be there to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Drogheda, but I don’t want to politicise the event in any way either,” he added.
“We just want to make sure that we have the arrangements right.”
This confirmation comes after Varadkar last week said he couldn’t commit to attending but would consider it.
Speaking last week, he said that “the nation is shocked by the depravity of the murder” and that he himself expressed his “revulsion and total condemnation” at the killing.
“I really want people to know the crime doesn’t pay, that those who are responsible for this will be brought to justice, and also to encourage anyone who does have information to give it to us because we need to secure convictions here,” he said.
Mulready-Woods’ body parts were discovered in Coolock and Drumcondra, both in north Dublin, in the past seven days.
Gardaí believe there was “no coincidence” about the location of the body parts and are probing if they were left in these areas as a warning to criminal gangs who were associated with Keane.
With reporting by Garreth MacNamee and Rónan Duffy
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Why doesn’t he just attend his office, plan an efficient nice new prison with effective laws and courts and throw criminals into it. Simple
@Michael: Or take those hundreds of millions that we’d spend on that and invest in breaking the cycle with at-risk youths. How many kids in this country never get fed at home and get zero love at home – so when a dealer takes them aside at 13 and gives them a hundred quid, it’s the most positive experience they’ve had in their lives. Meanwhile, legalise and decriminalise the drugs that are giving these gangs so much power.
@Michael: it’s not that simple
@Fabio Dillon: no I really do think Michael is that simple
@Zippy: Not only the shinner’s!! Amnesty, the UN, and the ICCL. But I suppose they are wrong in your eyes.
@Zippy: How many have appeared in front of the SCC?
A fact check is needed
@Zippy: The present Blueshirt government could have used the Special criminal court, They had no problem using it against Republicans, Yet when it came to using it against criminal elements as usual the blueshirts buried their heads in the sand.
@Michael: couldn’t of said it better myself
@coco akibu: You could.
@Ahjaysis: was the killer not collected by a sf td ?
@Ciarán Ó Fallúin: Bless your heart that you can attribute such evil to a disadvantaged childhood that can be prevented by spending more money in the social services. That was an incredibly evil act, and the perpetrator needs to be brought to justice and separated from society indefinitely if that is even possible in Ireland anymore.
Give that man a medal! Only a election stunt!
@Pád: Has he no shame?
@Pád: I’m sure his presence will make everything ok again :)
The HSE needs new doctors.
Leo needs new spin doctors…
If you don’t want to politicise it don’t go.
“We just want to make sure that we have the arrangements right”. In other words pull as many Garda from other well needed duties to keep an eye on him.
He is not welcome here in Drogheda
@Tom o brien: ok lord mayor
@Tom o brien: let’s face it, like most people he’d rather not have to go to Droddha
@Goban Saor: agreed.
@Goban Saor: So why, after all that has been happening in Drogheda, does he feel the need to attend now?
Political point scoring…..classy !!
What does he hope to achieve at the rally? Maybe, like others attending, he wants the government to do something.
Why does he want to inflict the people of Drogheda with his presence. Have they not enough problems dealing with criminal gangsters than having to stomach political gangsters on top.
FF are the reason for the major increase in youth criminal activity in recent years. The recession was due to their incompetence. A massive percentage of the recent gangland activity has been in the 17-23 age group, all children of the recession caused by FF, and further exacerbated by FG’s complete lack of funding for youth projects
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: I thought it was the path they choose to take ……?
@Chin Feeyin: It is of course their own fault, but when you grow up with absolutely nothing and start making money illegally, the decision is already made for you. You turn to making money illegally, thinking you’ve finally made something of yourself. This combined with zero investment in youth projects leads to a path of no return
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: i don’t think any more “opportunities for young people” will make any difference. There are plenty – they even built stables for horses in parts of Dublin!
The solution is more Gardai and more prison places.
@Chin Feeyin: Opportunities for young people would make massive difference. How about real facilities, sports in particular, sports at a young age is proven to keep kids on a good path. When was the last time kids as young as 11 were involved in gangs in Ireland? It’s crazy! Any as for the solution to the problem facing us today? I think it’s already gone too far, I think the guards have little choice now but to pick a side they believe have the advantage and do all in their power to put the other side behind bars until it dies down. It’s only a short term solution, the long term solution is regulation of some form. Even if you halved the criminal revenue you’d go a long way to halving the crime
@John Joe Bridie: God forbid that an element of free will was involved in such an evil act. One can’t possibly hold anybody responsible for an ill deed as we deflect responsibility to the nanny state the modern stand-in for God, who incidentally cost us less.
@Séadna O’Grádaigh: any more plausible excuses you can offer that will inform us concerning the crime of dismemberment? There are no excuses for such a brutal crime.
For what sure he’ll be out the door come the 8th of feb
Cheap election stunt similiar to the mocking and playing political football with the homeless man who had his leg crushed to bits and amputated
@Tom o brien: It’s a bit more nuanced than that. Take the average young lad leaving school, he might decide to go to college but his Grant is unlikely to cover his education, assuming he gets one. So, he might have to get a part time job to supplement his education. Then, after three or four years he’ll probably find that his degree isn’t worth what he thought it was and a post grad degree is needed. More money, a lot more. So he invests the time, money and effort. So do his proud parents, it’ll all be worth it, they say.
Meanwhile the little gurrier who fell out of school at the same time to be a drug dealer has climbed the ladder. He only wears designer clothes, changes his cars twice a year, owns a string of properties and has people working for him. Hard to say crime doesn’t pay.
@Arch Angel: When you put it like that!! I do agree! Also young lads in areas seen as ‘deprived’ (where I grew up), see the older lads in fancy cars with ‘status’ and perks and it’s seen as instant ‘glory’ and adrenaline flows. . But in saying that it’s still a choice. It’s also not all about money as we had very little growing up but had love and support and we were watched by our parents and given a dig if we got out of line. The vulnerable ones are the ones with lack of emotional support and not always lack financial support. And in some cases no matter what parents did, one in the family fell into the drugs scene. So many imbalances in society
@523StarBar: As I said, it’s a very subtle and nuanced issue. While not always, those with a lack of support, family and financial, tend to be more vulnerable to all sorts of abuse. Even now we all still judge status not by accent or someone’s address but by their income. What do you earn? We may judge that by what sort of card you drive or your house, rental or mortgage etc. these are a means of assessing income.
It’s difficult to tell the lad who chooses the college route, two degrees, that, approaching his 30′s, he start on a low wage. If he can afford a car it won’t be much. A house is impossible, and will be without help for the deposit and someone else paying the mortgage. Remind where the criminals are here?
@Arch Angel:
Except that little gurrier is probably facing involuntary and permanent early retirement!
@Michael Kavanagh: Your point seems relevant given the recent levels of violence among certain drug gangs. There’s no doubt that violence, and even death, are associated with crime, it’s often seen as an occupational hazard, the higher the reward the greater the risk.
There’s also a tendency to maybe glorify the violence among youth associated with crime, in what they wear, how they speak, social media, etc. Among their peers, they may be expected to graduate from low level crime, stealing bicycles and the like to stealing cars. After that they’ll be committing crimes, eventually for reward.
The kids who go to college have to first grow up with this taking place in their communities, the so-called disadvantaged areas. What makes them disadvantaged? It’s the years of neglect, crime allowed to run rampant with petty theft, open drug dealing, intimidation and, eventually, extreme violence, houses burned out and murders. But most of those getting hurt and killed cause the disadvantage in their own areas, it’s those innocent people trying to eke out an existence I feel sorry for.
Kids who manage to ignore this going on in their midst, ignore the obvious wealth it brings and still go to college deserve recognition. Instead society is telling them, “sorry, but not good enough, you’ve got to do more”, some will, if they can manage the expense. For others it’s just too much, and they can’t be blamed, maybe they’ll get jobs. In any case if the kids with the post grad degrees get jobs their pay rarely reflects their education, I’ve known kids with PhD’s work for minimum wage. Society is telling these kids that, after spending years, and a small fortune, on their education they can’t buy a house without their parents giving them the deposit and a partner, hopefully earning more. If they have siblings or want to start a family they’re in trouble.
So, when you hear the argument, which many agree with but I personally don’t, that drugs should be legalised who are the criminals here? Is it those who offer kids a choice, very high rewards with high risks of violence or those who give other kids no choice. They can slave away for years with little chance of ever getting anything more than a ton of debt over their heads. You decide.
Ppresume that will mean no Gardaí available anywhere else in the country that day.
@Marg FitzGerald: why ?
@Marg FitzGerald: and that will b Leo’s fault as well I presume lol funny ppl
I welcome this & while it’s a platitude and almost insignificant it at least tells the people of Drogheda who include my children that they are being listened to.
@Mjhint: I agree. It’s just a pity that decent people who are victims of violence don’t get the same respect as criminals
@Morning Gus: I think your missing the point. This is not in support of this young lad. I’m of the view this is in response to the level of violence committed against him & others. I would not support it otherwise.
@Mjhint: Decent people are still ignored as victims. That’s still my point, no confusion.
You don’t just “need to secure convictions here” though. You need to get all the right people and not settle for a scapegoat or two that’ll make you look good in the papers
Constant non stop unbiased coverage from the journal on all party leaders, well done. 15mins until the next Varadkar article….
Ah now come on! Would he bother his hole if there wasn’t an election looming?
This is a people’s protest and if Politicians wish to attend they should stand in the crowd with the people. No politicians should be allowed on the podium or let near a microphone
Leave the forum open to community leaders and those directly affected by the criminality in the town.
This event should not be used for Grandstanding.
Will he be packin his peacemaker
Yet he won’t attend or answer questions about homelessness?!!
It’s all about the votes about the votes, its all about the votes……
I note he still in his own FG way can’t equate his use and purchase of illicit drugs with funding drug lords
It’s now a private matter – tell that to those of us being terrified by drug addicts as we walk the streets
He wouldn’t be doing this if it wssnt for the up coming election
Good luck to him at that
What makes him think he’ll be even welcome there? What fu*king planet is he living on right now?
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