Over 150 drug detections at Life Festival

There were more than 150 drug detections at the Life dance music festival at Belvedere House and Gardens over the weekend.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, a garda spokesperson said that from a policing perspective, the three-day dance music festival was a success. Some 7,500 people from across Ireland attended this year’s event.

“There were no major incidents and no major thefts, just a few public order matters,” said the garda spokesperson.

“It is a sizable policing operation. We have a presence there 24/7. It was a successful event and that is down to all the good work done by all of the stakeholders.”

High strength cocaine, MDMA and ketamine were among the drugs surrendered to a HSE-run drugs testing lab at Life Festival at the weekend.

As part of its harm reduction policy surrounding drug use, the HSE ran a “back of house” drugs testing lab at its tent at the festival. Over the course of the weekend, the HSE issued social media alerts about high strength Cocaine, MDMA and Ketamine that were detected in the lab.

Life festival is one of the largest dance music events in the country and has been held in Belvedere House and Gardens for more than a decade.

During that time numerous local politicians and other public figures have questioned whether the council-owned site at Belvedere is a suitable location for an event of that kind.

In a recent written submission on the council’s draft tourism strategy on behalf of Mullingar Chamber, spokesperson on Economic Development, Enterprise and Tourism John Geoghegan said the festival “is an inappropriate use of this amenity”.

“This festival, in particular, causes considerable anti-social upset to the town and environs,” he wrote.