From the Sunday Mirror
DRUNKEN Irish students went on a violent rampage and tried to burn down their college – SEVEN TIMES.
A UCD staff member, who wishes to remain anonymous, claimed the beer-swilling teens have been out of control since the academic year started last month.
He said: “There is often a bit of hassle from students at the start of term, but this year their carry-on is unbelievable.
“Students have already started seven fires around campus. They even set fire to the admin block while there were people inside.
“We expect a bit of high jinks at the start of term, that’s perfectly understandable. Spirits are high and for many of these kids it’s their first time living away from home – but this level of behaviour is unacceptable.
“Someone could be seriously hurt, fires have a way of getting out of control.”
Staff think a student drinking society, Craic.soc, is promoting “knacker-drinking”, for which it organises huge public drinking binges.
To celebrate last year’s end of the last college term 200 students gathered for a massive drunken party organised by the society.
One party-goer openly bragged about lighting fires and intimidating college staff in an article posted online.
He said: “Did we have permission? Did we f***!
“Services would drive up to their vantage point about 100 metres away every so often.
“Sometimes they’d have the audacity to get out of their jeep and wander around.
“Invariably it was greeted by a wave of cheers from the crowd.
“The students knew the score. Four of them. More than 200 of us. As the evening drew in and the dancing got going, some lads started feeling chilly so got a bonfire going”.
The society is already back in action and planning more booze- fuelled mayhem.
One member even suggested in an email that they should move from drinking to drugs.
He wrote: “We ought to have an illegal rave, that would be good craic.
“I mean just do what the club kids did, literally have so many people we can do whatever the f*** we want.
“Where’s that spirit gone?”
The group have also accused UCD President Dr Hugh Brady of being a Nazi.
In a Press release the group said: “Craic.soc has no respect for the college authorities and their authoritarian regime. Seig heil herr Brady.”
College authorities admit they are struggling to deal with the group.
Vice-President for Students Mary Clayton said: “You can’t have a standing army of security just for situations where you have over 200 students causing trouble.
“All you can do is contain the situation which, I think, Services do very well.”
A worried staff member said: “We don’t know if Craic.soc are behind the fires, but they are certainly making things difficult.
“To be fair to the students most of them are grand, it’s just a minority who cause this kind of trouble.”
A spokesman for UCD refused to comment on the recent fires.
