Gardai arrested at least 20 students in Dublin last night as teenagers celebrated the publication of their Junior Certificate results. A Garda spokesman said that 12 to 15 students were arrested after a disturbance outside a club in South Anne Street, where large numbers had gathered in an effort to gain entry to a disco.
"The students were brought in and mammy and daddy were called and asked to come in and collect them," the spokesman said. Gardai in Store Street arrested several student for breaches of the peace and being drunk and disorderly. Most of those arrested will be dealt with through the Juvenile Liaison Scheme.
But the bad weather in the city yesterday kept many away, gardai said. Both St James's Hospital and Beaumont Hospital were quiet, while the Mater Hospital reported "a few" cases of drunkenness. The casualties were later sent home. In the city centre a number of bars and clubs offered alcohol-free discos for students, but others claimed that no students would be allowed in under any circumstances. "They won't get into most pubs in town," said a bouncer at one Dublin city centre bar. "Some of them look about 10 years old," he said. " They try all the tricks: arriving in a big group, pretending they're engrossed in a conversation and then looking shocked when your arm goes out.
"You can tell them a mile away, especially the girls. Greyhound skirts and `slapper' boots are a dead giveaway."
Some students avoided the venue problem by bringing their drink with them. Despite an obvious Garda presence in O'Connell Street and Grafton Street, groups of teen-agers drank openly from cans and bottles purchased from off-licences.
"We don't want any hassle," said one boy, part of a group of students from Donneycarney and Killester drinking alcoholic orange drinks in College Green. No one would let them in anywhere, he said.
"We bought our drink the day before," said another, who claimed to be on his tenth lager, "We drank them in mates' gaffs today. All we want is a good time."