Burning cars and reckless driving mark chaotic Halloween night in Dublin
Dublin Fire Brigade logged a record number of calls as cars were set alight and driven recklessly through a Ballyfermot housing estate on Halloween night.
Burning cars, exploding fireworks and reckless high-speed driving were recorded on video in Dublin's Cherry Orchard area, in Ballyfermot, on Halloween night, the Irish Examiner reported. Gardai were reportedly told not to enter part of the area because of serious disorder there.
Videos circulating on social media showed cars being driven at speed down residential roads, watched by crowds from the pavements and gardens, with some vehicles deliberately crashed into others, the newspaper reported. Streets were left covered in debris, with bonfires, burning cars and fireworks exploding.
Dublin Fire Brigade said it had received more calls by 8pm on Saturday than over the whole of Halloween night the previous year. Chief Fire Officer Greg O'Dwyer said the brigade had taken 347 calls by that time, of which 281 were Halloween-related, up from 320 calls a year earlier, 276 of them Halloween-related, RTÉ reported.
The Irish Independent reported that Dublin Fire Brigade logged 1,600 calls in total over the night, which it described as the busiest Halloween night in 15 years; RTÉ separately reported it was the busiest in a decade. Separately, a children's train was seen being driven on public roads in the Malahide area of County Dublin, the Irish Examiner reported.
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What we know
- 1 outlet · Irish Examiner Cars and bins were set on fire and driven recklessly in the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot, Dublin, on Halloween night.
- 1 outlet · Irish Examiner Gardai were reportedly told not to enter part of the area due to serious disorder there.
- Official · Dublin Fire Brigade Dublin Fire Brigade's call volume by 8pm already exceeded all of last Halloween night's calls, a fire officer said.
- 2+ outlets · RTÉ News, Irish Independent The brigade logged 1,600 calls in total over the night, described as the busiest Halloween night in 15 years by the Irish Independent and in a decade by RTÉ.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Dublin Fire Brigade's call volume had already overtaken last year's full Halloween-night total by 8pm, before the final count for Saturday reached 1,600 calls, showing how quickly the disorder escalated during the evening.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Dublin on Halloween night?
- Cars and bins were set alight and driven recklessly through the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot, with gardai reportedly told to stay out of part of the area.
- How busy was the fire brigade?
- It logged 1,600 calls over the night, which the Irish Independent called the busiest Halloween in 15 years and RTÉ called the busiest in a decade.
- Were there any other incidents?
- A children's train was seen being driven on public roads in the Malahide area of County Dublin, the Irish Examiner reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.