Sixteen people to appear before court after gardai attacked in Cork

Sixteen people are due before a court in Cork on Monday following serious public order incidents, during which one garda was pushed to the ground and another punched in the face.

Gardai arrested and charged the 16 people following the incidents on Sunday.

At approximately 10pm, gardai on patrol on Oliver Plunkett Street saw an injured man lying on the ground outside a premises.

As gardai were providing assistance to the man, a large group of people gathered on the street and became verbally and physically aggressive towards gardai.

Those present refused to disperse from the area and a number of additional garda units arrived to the scene to provide assistance.

Gardai said that incapacitant spray was used as part of an escalated response to the developing increasingly aggressive public order incidents.

One garda member was pushed to the ground and another member was punched in the face during the incident.

Neither member required medical attention and remained on duty, gardai said.

Shortly after midnight near Daunt Square, a number of people gathered in the area and again were verbally and physically aggressive towards gardai.

All 16 are due to appear before Cork District Court on Monday morning.