Three people arrested and others fined after they gather at St Brigid's Shrine in Faughart

Gardai arrested three people and fined others after a crowd gathered at St Brigid’s Shrine in Faughart, Co Louth, on Sunday.

A group of around 30 people gathered in the car park at St Brigid’s Shrine just outside Dundalk on Sunday afternoon shortly before 2pm.

Up to 10 gardai attended the scene the day before the feast of St Brigid on Monday February 1st as the gathering was in breach of current Covid-19 safety regulations. 

There are conflicting accounts of what the group was doing at the shrine, with suggestions they may have been anti-mask protesters.

Two men aged in their 40s and 60s and a woman in her 20s were arrested after allegedly refusing to give gardaí their names and addresses, while a number of people were fined.

A garda spokesperson said in a statement: “Gardaí attended at a car park at Upper Faughart, Dundalk where a group of approximately 30 people had gathered in contravention of current health regulations.

“A number of Fixed Penalty Notices were issued to those present.

“Two men aged in their 60s and 40s and a woman in her 20s were arrested under the Health Act, 1947, having refused to provide Gardaí with names and addresses.

“They were taken to Dundalk Garda Station and later released having been charged to appear before the Dundalk District Court at a later date.

“A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

St Brigid of Kildare was believed to have been born in County Louth almost 1,500 years ago.