Rag Week in its current form may be no more as NUI Galway senior management announced yesterday that it is no longer in a position to support the event following “a series of unfortunate incidents”.
Gardai in Galway were kept busy trying to maintain order on the streets, and during Monday and Tuesday last approximately 25 arrests were made for various public order incidents.
NUIG senior management met with the president of the Students’ Union last Tuesday night and it was decided that Rag Week will no longer form part of the university calendar.
A statement said: “The university would like to offer its apologies to Galway city residents who may have experienced disruption or distress as a result of student activities this week. Unfortunately this week of charitable events has been overshadowed by a minority of students using this time as an opportunity for excessive drinking leading ultimately to unsafe, unruly, and anti-social behaviour. NUI Galway does not condone this behaviour and treats such breaches of conduct very seriously.”
The easy availability of cheap alcohol, special offer, and extended drinking hours, was also blamed for hampering the university’s endeavours to encourage moderate and sensible drinking.
“The university has written to the publicans, club-owners, and off-licence premises on two occasions in the last year to request cooperation in this matter. Unfortunately a number of clubs have not co-operated and proceeded to run events this week outside of regular nightclub hours, in spite of the university’s best efforts.”
This move has been welcomed by Fianna Fail Councillor Michael Crowe who said that “Rag Week as we now know it, without the aknowledgement of the college, will be no more”.
“I welcome NUI Galway’s decision and I hope the student leadership will sit down with the university authority to work out a different format, one that won’t be as wild.”
Cllr Crowe stressed that it was only a small minority of the student population that were causing problems and that students contribute enormously to the local economy.
“The Student Unions have done their best to get the message across. There has also been blame put on the sale of alcohol by certain retailers. That’s a cop out. It’s the students themselves that have to own up to their responsibilities and how they behave,” he said.
A spokesperson for GMIT, Regina Daly, said that they respected the decision taken by NUI Galway but that they will continue their support. Ms Daly said that the college does not support “loutish behaviour” and had received no “formal complaints”. She added that an incident regarding disturbances at Glasán recently had helped to nipped any misbehaviour in the bud.
Gardai were called to the Glasán Village student accommodation on February 12 after complaints were received by security and residents at the nearby Woodhaven estate. B&B owner John Rabbitt said that the “criminal” disturbances were a weekly occurrence. Six students took responsibility for the party and for the damage caused to property.
