Armed Gardai were patrolling the town of Rathkeale in Co Limerick, Monday night after violent incidents erupted between rival groups, leaving the town “like a war zone”, locals said.
A number of vehicles were written off in ramming incidents, and machetes were allegedly produced, as gardai sealed off a large section of the town.
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Kevin Sheahan, who is a former Garda, suggested that Gardai used whatever was in their power - including clearing perpetrators from the streets with “batons”, in order to restore order in the west county Limerick town.
