Security plans ahead of 1995 Lansdowne Road riot ‘not clearly understood’
By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association
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”.
The Garda reserve and public order units in the stadium were insufficient
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 made and information conveyed in the pre-match meetings between the gardai and the FAI were not clearly understood or remembered in the absence of written confirmation.”
The note added that information received from the English National Criminal Intelligence Service by gardai was “not sufficiently conveyed” to FAI officials.
As a result, ministers were told the Finlay report had recommended limiting away fan numbers to less than 10% and to move away fan seats to “a portion of the north end of the lower deck of the east stand”.
It stated that spectators should be seated in a way that is “irrespective of whether the match is competitive or a friendly.”
– This article is based on documents in the file labelled 2025/115/986 at the National Archives of Ireland.
