Organisers of a Drogheda music festival have requested a garda presence following the escalation of gang violence.
Over 4,000 people are expected to attend boutique music festival Vantastival which is set to take place over the June Bank Holiday at Beaulieu House in Co Louth.
Co-founder Louise Tangney said: “We have a great relationship with the Garda in Drogheda who have never insisted on a presence. We requested it ourselves this year just for the safety of our attendees.
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“Prior to this, we would have invited Gardai in for a walk around the site but this year they will be on-site for the first time.”
She added that the ticket sales had not been affected by the recent incidents of gang violence affecting Drogheda.
She told the Irish Sun: “The gardai don’t think we’ll be affected by what’s going on in Drogheda but we have been increasing security for the past few years anyway with the growth of the festival.”
Earlier this month it emerged 25 new Garda recruits are being sent to the town to combat ongoing violence in the region which saw a man shot in broad daylight in a heavily populated area.
Violence erupted in Drogheda after one gang split and attacks began between rival factions with 30-40 criminals estimated to be on each side.
A string of petrol-bombings, abductions, shootings and violent assaults waged between two feuding gangs has shone the spotlight on the town for all the wrong reasons.
