Early start to Christmas festivities in Rathkeale (THREADBANS IN OP)

Criminal justice in Ireland is at a crossroads. The election of Leo Varadkar — whose party is aligned with reducing Garda numbers, so that we can continue as a tax haven for big corporations — will make the next two years challenging for proponents of effective policing. This challenge will be felt not only by those on the dwindling Fine Gael base, but also by those living in deteriorating urban enclaves that saw assaults, homicides and shootings spike in the second half of 2022. Most law-enforcement policy is set by government, many of which have acted recently to hamstring cops and hack away at policing budgets, making Ireland one of the lowest number of Police per 100,000 capita in the world

The attorney general sets the agenda at the Department of Justice, and there is every reason to expect the agenda to go backward.

Look at the large percent of those arrested for guns and knives are back on the street: In some of these towns and cities, if the progressive-prosecutor movement expands into the government with the appointment of soft-on-crime state solicitors, we could see a decline in the number of cases brought against violent criminals and drug dealers, as well as more leniency when it comes to charging decisions and plea bargaining. We have every reason to expect such a shift to affect crime rates like what we saw in Rathkeale the other day. It's actually happening.

Varadkar's administration could also decide to further reduce or eliminate government aid to local Garda districts. But denying local Garda equipment will only make it harder for them to do their jobs during a time of increasing violent crime. Varadkar's double speak rhetoric is one would expect to see from far-left police critics. Leo Varadkar has worked to rehabilitate his public image, recasting himself as a “progressive” Taoiseach. These shifts in tone and approach. Public safety hangs on the answer.

WT Cosgrave must be spinning in his grave, but if he is, just dig down and stop his spinning with a few slashes of cemetery machete action.

I dont know about that, there are a load of travellers barred from my local Tesco. That is the way to handle the $hits.

Is there any of them dead?..........I mean are they ok?

Gardai everywhere. I'm annoyed because I've chips ordered and I'm a bit scared to walk up the town. I'll try get a few pics of the wrecked cars.

Those pesky doctors and architects at it again!!

Thoughts and prayers

I have seen so much culture tonight.

I am blessed.

Short vid of aftermath. Don't want to upload bar brawl so as to not get in trouble.

Oops it's over 50mb. Thanks boards.

Boards, specifically new boards. You're dirt. Can't upload anything except low quality jpges.

Those dogs are amazing.

The police here are completely defunct in solving the various and numerous illegal activities surrounding this gang. What Ireland needs is a multifunctional nationwide judicial taskforce akin to the likes of the FBI that has access and conjunction to other successful nationwide taskforces such as Revenue and the SCC. That's where this craic has gotten us. Because if the state fails to address this problem, expect way way worse incoming.

There is no need for anyone to make up false stats to argue that. Anyway Operation Oakleaf is a continuing Garda/CAB/Interpol action against the organised crime gangs.

It may have been mentioned already about the video of them fighting in the pub, one guy getting knocked out with and bottle to the side of the head and then the guy who hit him jumping on his head as he lay out cold on the ground. Shocking depravity.