Press Release

Hallowe’en Carnival Update 2005

01st November 2005

Members of the event contingency planning group for the Hallowe’en Carnival have indicated that a series of revisions to the 2005 event have assisted with improving the experience and atmosphere in the city centre.

Nuala McGee, Festivals Officer with Derry City Council said there was a significant improvement with the early evening atmosphere with many families returning for music in Guildhall Square after the fireworks.

“Families were able to enjoy a family friendly zone in Guildhall Square with many remaining after the fireworks to listen to the music. Early evening has regained its family appeal with the Carnival Parade and entertainment creating a relaxed atmosphere in the city centre”.

The event contingency planning group will convene a major debrief later this week to ascertain the performance overall of the zoning, stewarding and safety at the event. Pre-event planning identified a series of risks that were managed through high profile stewarding, enforcement of alcohol ~free zones and a greater public awareness of risks associated with underage drinking and unaccompanied teenagers in the city centre.

John Meehan, Director of Development with Derry City Council concluded: “It is becoming more evident that the event is clearly appealing to two distinct audiences and as a community we face the challenge of accommodating both within the overall profile of carnival.

“Early indicators show that incidents in the city centre were lower than previous years with nine transfers to Altnagelvin Hospital recorded by the event contingency planning group. However, as the evening progressed, managing the significant numbers of teenagers and young adults still raises challenges.

“Achievements in the zoning and high profile stewarding were positive and a comprehensive inter-agency debrief will build upon these for future years and examine everyone’s performance. Overall there appears to have been a more relaxed atmosphere in the city resulting in a Carnival that was easier to manage”.

Police statistics released this morning indicated 25 arrests for minor offences concluding there was an overall improvement on previous years.

Derry city council has thanked all planning agencies, staff and the public for supporting the Hallowe'en Carnival safely and sensibly.

Ends

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