British police officers have arrived in Dublin to help identify English football hooligans who might attempt to enter the State, in defiance of travel bans, to cause trouble around the Republic of Ireland v England match this weekend.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris confirmed the English officers would act as observers or spotters while in the city. They are to be deployed in Garda control rooms, helping to monitor CCTV footage from across Dublin, and could also work on the streets with Garda Public Order Units.
However, Mr Harris said they will not have an active role in frontline policing while in Ireland.
“They have no policing powers,” he said of the English police officers coming to Dublin. “They’re there to observe, to assist us, and if we have to deal with disorder, they may be able to assist us in terms of (identifying) individuals, particularly if they have been banned from international travel.
Kitchen porter left jobless after fatal shooting at Blanchardstown steakhouse awarded €22,000
British police arrive in Dublin to watch out for football hooligans ahead of Republic of Ireland v England game
Gardaí to investigate whether sex abuse rings operated in schools
Olympic marathon runner from Uganda dies after petrol attack by partner
“There is a scheme in England where some fans are banned from international football travel. And obviously travelling to Dublin, even though we have the Common Travel Area, still would be a breach of those sorts of bans.”
[ Ireland v England: TV details, kick-off time, team news and moreOpens in new window ]
The presence of the English officers in Ireland mirrors the recent deployment of Garda members overseas, including at the Paris Olympics, to aid Irish people who may get into difficulty while abroad and to assist French police.
The Nations League clash takes place at the Avivia Stadium on Saturday evening. The last time the sides met at the stadium was in 2015. The game ended in a 0-0 draw and without major incident off the pitch. The previous meeting in Dublin, a 1995 friendly fixture at the then Lansdowne Road, had to be abandoned when English hooligans caused disorder.
There was a significant far-right element to those disturbances and the far-right has been especially active in Britain in recent months, including orchestrating riots following a stabbing incident in Southport last month. However, Mr Harris said there was no evidence so far of any such groups targeting Saturday’s game with a view to causing trouble.
“We’re live to all the various public order threats that may arise,” Mr Harris said when asked about British football hooligans possibly coming to Dublin and any influence the far-right may have in that.
The fact the game had been declared an “extraordinary event” in policing terms – which involves annual leave being cancelled to bolster resources – meant a “very substantial” Garda operation could be mounted around the game, he said.
“This (operation) would be both for the arrival of (England) fans and the for the maintenance of order in the city centre and at the football match,” he told reporters during a visit to Waterford. “At the Aviva Stadium itself, the vast majority of fans are going to be Ireland fans. And part of our operation is to make sure all fans can travel backwards and forwards to the match in safety and fans in the ground can watch it in safety free from the threat of public disorder or attack.”
The commissioner said English police had a specific operation for “gathering intelligence around football hooliganism” and the Garda had been “working very closely with them” in recent months.
“So we’re prepared for all the threats that might arise,” he said.
Meanwhile, the English Football Association has issued travel advice to fans, saying: “Drinking is not allowed in the streets or public spaces in Ireland. This will be enforced by local police ... Any supporters who are visibly drunk may be refused entry into the stadium by local authorities.”
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
