Kerry councillors have condemned scenes of a crowd of people dancing and singing on a street in Killarney.
Footage of the incident, which is said to have been captured last night, has emerged on social media today.
It shows a crowd gathered on the street, cheering as a topless man dances on top of a phone box which has been repurposed to hold a defibrillator.
Mayor of Killarney Brendan Cronin said he was "absolutely shocked" by the footage.
He told Radio Kerry it was an "awful slap in the face" to frontline workers and the business community in the town.
Councillor Niall Kelleher, meanwhile, said that throughout the summer the COVID-19 guidelines have been followed, and what happened in the video is out of character.
He said: "It is exceptionally upsetting and disappointing to see the ignorance of individuals, and the complete lack of awareness of the situation we're in."
Kerry Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae says the scenes were "crazy irresponsible".
He said he's been told that gardaí had cleared the scene within ten minutes of the video being captured.
Garda response
Gardaí this afternoon said they're aware of the video circulating on social media.
They said: "An Garda Síochána does not comment on an extract of audio/ video footage, the timeline and context of which cannot be determined.
"An Garda Síochána had resources on patrol in the Killarney District with local Gardaí reporting a large numbers of persons socialising in Killarney over the evening.
"An Garda Síochána in Killarney were involved in the ongoing investigation of a fatal road traffic collision and responded to a number of further incidents including the serious investigation into the unexplained death of a male."
The force added that it continues to respond to reports of gatherings, and adopts a "graduated policing response" to any incidents.
In a statement responding to the footage, the Vintners' Federation of Ireland said it continues to call for the full force of the law to be applied to any pub found to be in breach of guidelines.
They said: "While the exact nature of what occurred prior to the incidents that appeared on social media remains unclear, the guidelines for restaurants and pubs serving food state that alcohol can only be served along with a €9 meal and guests can only remain on the premises for 105 minutes.
"The VFI supports the introduction of new legislation that will give gardaí the powers to close down businesses found to be in breach of the guidelines."
It notes that gardaí have said the vast majority of pubs serving food are "fully adhering" to the coronavirus guidelines.
