Security plans ahead of 1995 Lansdowne Road riot ‘not clearly understood’

A report into a riot by English spectators at a football match between England and Ireland in Dublin in 1995 found pre-game safety decisions and information was “not clearly understood”, according to archive documents.

The Lansdowne Road riot broke out in the first half of the friendly match on February 15th, 1995.

English supporters forced the abandonment of the game 27 minutes into the match after Ireland took the lead.

More than 20 people were injured when projectiles were thrown from the upper to lower parts of the stadium.

Government ministers were told in the aftermath of the incident that Garda reserve and public order members at the stadium were “insufficient” and pre-game safety decisions and information was “not clearly understood or remembered” by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and gardai.

Confidential documents published as part of the annual release from the National Archives of Ireland in Dublin also show that the government was told the gardaí should have the final say on the kick-off time.

The Finlay report into the incident concluded the “actual serious violence experienced at the match was caused solely by English fans and that this violence had been planned”.

In a note to Cabinet on April 4 1995, ministers were told segregation efforts between English and Irish fans were undermined due to the reselling of returned tickets and the use of seated people as an “insufficient barrier”.

The note said: “The choice of particular parts of the stadium to accommodate English fans created difficulties.

“The Garda reserve and public order units in the stadium were insufficient.

“Insufficient meetings were arranged between individual groups of stewards or security men and Garda personnel.

“Some decisions