Over €6,000 worth of drugs, believed to be cannabis and cocaine, was recovered in the vicinity of a dance music event held in a field at Kiltobranks, Ballaghaderreen, last weekend. Over 2,000 people are believed to have attended the two-day music festival and Gardaí noted, that apart from the drugs haul and complaints from neighbours about the loud music, there were no public order problems at the event. At 3 am on Sunday morning a Toyota Corolla was stopped in the vicinity of the Mantua Music and Arts Festival at Kiltobranks, Ballaghaderreen. The car was searched and a substantial amount of drugs, believed to be cannabis and cocaine, was recovered. The drugs are believed to be worth between €6,000 and €8,000. The driver of the car ran from the scene and a female passenger was arrested. In a follow-up search, the driver was arrested. Both were taken to Castlerea Garda Station where they were held and questioned. The woman was a 23-year-old non national and she was later released without charge and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The man was a 27-year-old from the Cork region and he was later charged with seven offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act. In the course of the investigation which followed, a premises used by the couple was serached in the Celbridge area. A substantial amount of cash and a small quantity of drugs were found and a file on that matter is now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. During the course of the festival 12 small pieces of cannabis and ecstasy, believed to be for personal use, were also found. Approximately 15 Gardaí took part in the operation, which was headed up by Sergeant Michael Clesham of Loughglynn Garda Station. Most of those attending the festival were from outisde the region. A Garda spokesperson noted, ‘they were very mannerly and gave us no trouble, other than the breach of the Drugs Act. There were complaints about loud music, but that wasn’t to do with the patrons.’
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