CCTV shows Paddy’s Day brawl at Manchester Irish Centre

A woman was hospitalised and the centre's alcohol licence was suspended

Clodagh Meaney

CCTV footage has emerged showing a brawl that occurred at Manchester Irish Centre on Paddy’s Day.

A fight broke out at around 11pm on Sunday after a full day of St Patrick's Day celebrations at the venue in Cheetham Hill.

The short clip shows a gang of 10 to 15 people pushing and pulling one another before one person launches a chair across the group.

According to reports on the news website Manchester World , further footage shows a man with blood streaming down his face - as well as people throwing chairs and an ‘elderly female’ being punched in the face.

A police officer is said to have told the hearing the woman - a NHS volunteer - had her teeth ‘knocked out’.

The Irish World Heritage Centre has now had its alcohol licence suspended pending a full review which is due to take place next month.

PC Stuart Hammersley told the licensing panel that the ‘older lady’ approached one of the men who was fighting before being punched in the face.

Officers were called to the centre off Queens Road at around 11pm after reports of more than 40 fighting and throwing chairs and glasses at each other.

One 999 caller reported that “guns and knives” had been mentioned resulting in Greater Manchester Police requesting firearms officers attend together with the tactical aid unit.

There were also reports of vehicles crashing into each other in the car park.

However, the club's general manager later claimed that the fight only involved two men while others were trying to separate the pair.

"It was just two people fighting," the manager said

"It happened as we were closing and trying to get everyone out of the door.”

"One threw a punch at another, he got up and they carried on fighting,” they added.

"There were a lot of people trying to stop them fighting, but it wasn't a mass brawl."

The manager claimed it was "the typical aftermath of a St Patrick's Day parade".

"There were balloons, wrappers and a fair bit of broken glass," she said.

"You expect rubbish all over the place. I'm used to it because I see it every year. When you've got one to two thousand people coming through the door, what would you expect it to look like?”

"When the police arrived, they thought the place had been trashed.”

"It was a really good day and everybody enjoyed the celebrations. The atmosphere was fantastic."


Today's Headlines

More World Crime

Download the Sunday World app

Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices

WatchMore Videos