Social media companies remove St Patrick’s Day pages advertising party

Gary Ibbotson 22 Feb 2021

Social media companies that were being used to platform and advertise a planned St Patrick’s Day party in an unknown location have removed all content promoting the event.

Organisers were planning on announcing the exact location – billed to be somewhere in Dublin or Kildare – 12 hours before the event started.

The party, if it still goes ahead, will be in breach of current level five Covid-19 restrictions, expected to be extended beyond March 5.

Tickets were being advertised on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for €20 each.

A PayPal account linked to the event is also no longer accessible.

One Instagram account, called ‘Paddys Day Lockdown Rave’ had nearly 2,000 followers.

“The idea of people going to an organised, ticketed event in the height of social restrictions is absolutely outrageous,” said Dublin Mid West TD Emer Higgins.

“If this event goes ahead it will be a flagrant dismissal of the current legislations and a mockery to all the efforts everyone has made in the battle against Covid-19,” she said.

A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement: “We have restricted access to this account as it violates government Covid-19 health guidelines.

“We are committed to supporting the HSE’s work to keep people safe and informed, including on the importance of social distancing.”