Six young men were arrested when gardai were called to an outdoor party at Whiterock beach on Killiney Bay which was attended by at least 500 people. The party followed a similar event last weekend when an estimated 2,000 young people gathered on the same stretch of beach after attending the Creamfields concert at Punchestown racecourse. An order prohibiting the holding of a dance party in the area had been signed by Supt John Dunne, of Dun Laoghaire Garda station, during the week, following the previous weekend's party.
There were no arrests at the first gathering, but gardai confirmed they had received complaints from people using the beach about the detritus of drink containers and litter.
A Garda spokesman said that about 500 young people again gathered on the beach at around 1 a.m. yesterday for the event which continued to about 5 a.m. During both events there was dancing around fires and torches.
Gardai from Dalkey and Shankill stations went to the scene and, the spokesman said, there was some public disorder, during which six men aged from their late teens to late 20s were arrested. All have addresses in the south Dublin area.
One of the arrests was made after missiles, including stones and bottles, were hurled at gardai.
The six were released and will receive summonses to appear before Dun Laoghaire District Court on public order offences.
No drugs were seized at the scene. Between 20 and 30 gardai were involved in the operation, the spokesman said, not 200 as suggested in some reports yesterday.