Disco Internment

The morning after… 8AUG21

s anyone who lives within earshot will tell you, raves have been happening up in Bellevue Woods pretty regularly over the past few months.

The arrival of winter weather isn’t the only thing that may be putting a stop to these Octagon all-nighters though.

Gardaí made several arrests at the weekend as the latest rave was about to get underway, with hundreds ascending upon the Glen Of The Downs woods.

The fact that there were security guards among those attending gives you some idea of the scale of the operation.

A large sum of money was also seized from two men at the scene, whilst according to Sgt John Fitzpatrick of Bray Garda Station, another two men were searched in a taxi approaching the rave and were found to have deal bags of ketamine. The arrests, said Sgt Fitzpatrick, were just two examples of several interceptions.

Having just re-emerged as a rave location over the summer, it’s hard to imagine what the La Touche family would make of it all, seeing their 18th century tea rooms and hunting lodge become the setting for illegal raves. Chances are, they wouldn’t be jumping up and down with joy. And glow-sticks.

The raid on the rave by Bray Garda followed persistent complaints from local residents who were finding it difficult to sleep to such lilting lullabies as Smack My Bitch Up and Searchin’ For My Rizla.