Government reaction: The Taoiseach and Government Ministers have denounced Saturday's riots as anti-democratic, sectarian and disgraceful actions that have no place in modern Ireland.
The Taoiseach said yesterday that there was no excuse for the violence. "It is the essence of Irish democracy and republicanism that people are allowed express their views freely and in a peaceful manner. People who want only to attack gardaí and property have no respect for their fellow citizens."
He said he appreciated the bravery of gardaí in dealing with a very tense situation.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mr Ahern blamed republican dissidents for starting the violence. These dissidents had been joined by local people, he said. "There were several petrol bombs thrown at the gardaí," he said.
"On the lanes at the back of O'Connell Street they had bins of bottles which obviously had been [ stored there] overnight. So it had been organised, and for some of the people involved, it wasn't their first time pulling up pavements out of streets. I think it's very sad for the capital. I thought we had moved away from that."
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said he is seeking a report from the Garda Síochána on the riots for tomorrow's Cabinet meeting. He is also seeking a longer report on the "real perpetrators" of the violence, some of whom had come armed with petrol bombs, he told journalists yesterday.
He acknowledged the riots could have repercussions for the peace process, though he said he hoped it would not. "Obviously it is a setback," he said.
Mr McDowell said his reaction to the violence was one of "anger and determination. Anger that while carrying the national flag people could unleash such a torrent of abuse on representatives of the State."
Asked to comment on the fact that gardaí were outnumbered, he said: "The gardaí have said that they had no intelligence of the vicious assaults that were going to take place. This was to be a normal event. They were not pouring gardaí into the streets."
He added that lessons would have to be learned from what had happened. However, he stressed that the blame should be laid where it belonged, on "a thuggish, fascist fringe".
Tánaiste Mary Harney said that in a democracy, "everybody should be free to protest and march in a peaceful manner to make their point. But a counter-demonstration involving violence is a most counter-productive development."
She said the Orange Order was "clearly a sectarian organisation, but they should be allowed to make their protest in a peaceful way.
"The disgraceful actions of a few have left many innocent parties in Dublin, either injured or with their property destroyed. We thought we had left this kind of activity behind," she said.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said that all efforts to provoke sectarian conflict on the island of Ireland must be vigorously opposed.
"I wonder did any of those 'heroes' from Saturday's riots who sullied our national flag by covering their faces with it or with tricolour scarves as they pelted our gardaí with bricks and stones ever closely examine what the colours of our national flag represent," he said.