Three people have been sentenced with prison time this week following a “rival” singsong that descended into mayhem.
The Irish Examiner reports that Gardaí were greeted by a “chaotic scene” when they were called to a hotel in Killarney following a “rival singsong” that turned violent, The Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee heard this week.
The incident took place at the Quality Hotel, Killarney.
The Dinan family of Mallow in Co. Cork were celebrating a family Confirmation when two of the women became involved in a verbal altercation with a separate family in the bar, who were also singing.
The court heard that the two women involved threw bottles, lamps, chairs and glasses, and assaulted hotel staff and the gardaí when they tried to intervene.
Ten more gardaí had to be called to the scene where three members of the Dinan family were arrested and charged with assault and criminal damage.
More than ten gardaí were called to the scene to maintain the mayhem.
The Dinans, who were reportedly immediately remorseful and cooperative on arrest, pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Judge Thomas E O’ Donnell said the incident had the “classic factors” of a spontaneous eruption of violence at “an ostensible family celebration with the adults still in the bar having consumed a lorry load of drink”.
He convicted each on all charges and sentenced each of the three to a total of two years and six months, suspended for a period of four years.
