With St Patrick's Day parades happening up and down the country - plenty of folk are getting into the spirit of things.
However, one particular entry that featured in Saturday's celebrations in Spiddal, Co Galway, certainly raised eyebrows: the controversial float was based on the recent lootings that happened at a Tallaght branch of Lidl during Storm Emma.
An image shared on the
Rory's Stories Facebook page showed one guy on a digger while another pair dismantled the makeshift Lidl store.
https://twitter.com/lidl_ireland/status/975014925469929474
However - and even though Lidl itself got in on the act with a Tweet - not everyone assumed the float was in good taste. "That's really nasty and sad. What next a float of someone's house or car being robbed," stated one critic on social.
Furthermore, a video during the rounds on WhatsApp and taken in Shrule in Co Mayo shows a similar structure - this time complete with riot gardaí.
The Dublin Lidl in question was dramatically looted and destroyed
at approximately 7pm, Friday March 2. Videos shared on social media show construction machinery being used to break down the roof of the building, causing substantial damage.
Another video being widely shared on Twitter showed several young men driving a digger from the location.
A total of eight men eventually appeared in court in connection with the incident - charged with various offences including theft, burglary and trespassing.
