Tourist officials have condemned the violence which broke out over the bank holiday weekend at Keel, Achill Island, Co Mayo. The action resulted in the arrest of 30 people, mostly youths, for drunkenness and unruly behaviour.
At one stage, bottles and stones were hurled at gardai, who were forced to call in reinforcements. Most of those arrested were male and from the general Mayo area.
Supt Pat Doyle said yesterday those arrested would appear at the next District Court session on the island.
Most of the unrest happened around an unofficial campsite at Sandybanks.
According to Supt Doyle, there was a large influx of youths to Keel on Saturday night. The group, he said, set up an unofficial camp just off the beach in the area known as the Sandybanks comprising tents and cars.
"A certain group of people within the number of youths created a lot of problems for local residents. The youths caused a lot of public order problems in relation to noise, drunkenness and basically having no respect for law and order," said Supt Doyle.
"The gardai had difficulty in dealing with them and some extra manpower was brought in to quell the situation."
The incidents happened on what is one of the island's busiest tourist weekends of the year.