Gardai will deploy ‘terrorist spotters’ for U2’s gig in Croke Park on July 22nd.
The plain clothed officers will be on the lookout for potential suicide bombers at the gig, following a rise in Islamic terrorist activity in recent months.
Speaking to the Irish Sun, Inspector Anthony Gallagher confirmed that the unit will be deployed for the concert following the Manchester terror attack, which resulted in the death of 22 civilians as they exited an Ariana Grande concert.
He continued, “Our planning for major events is very robust and we are constantly looking at new developments, trends and threats.”
Security: The Gardai will deploy terrorist spotters at U2’s Croke Park gig this summer | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Our spotters will have the freedom to observe what’s around them and report back any suspicious activity. We will have an adequate number of spotters to identify a number of risks and this will be their only role on the day. It’s important that the general public know that we have confidence in our plans.”
The unit was also recently deployed to assist with the prevention of dissident terrorist activity during Prince Charles visit to Dublin last month.
It has also been revealed that there have been talks about placing the undercover officers at the All-Ireland finals in Croke Park this September.
Inspector Gallagher said, “Croke Park is located in an area being patrolled by the Armed Response Unit due to the Kinahan and Hutch feud. Perhaps they should be the norm now because they have the training to respond to armed incidents, including those of a terrorist nature.”
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