Update | Longford wedding celebration attended by over 100 guests despite court order for marquee to be removed
'This really is a kick in the teeth to all of the law abiding citizens of Longford'
A number of the wedding party had earlier attended a ceremony at St Mel's Cathedral.
Yesterday morning (Wednesday, May 5), at Sligo Circuit Court, an order was made that the marquee structure be removed following its emergence less than 24 hours previously.
Several units of uniformed gardaí maintained a 'watching brief' at the site throughout the afternoon and their investigations are continuing.
Superintendent Jim Delaney confirmed gardaí were providing assistance to Longford County Council following the granting of the court order. He also revealed that officers engaged with the wedding organisers to make them aware of Covid-19 restrictions.
Supt Delaney said, "We liaised with both families and the marquee owner and served them with written copies of the current State Covid-19 public health guidelines but both chose not to engage with us."
Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Paul Ross hit out at the decision to construct the large scale marquee, insisting local authority officials had been left with little choice but to seek an emergency court order.
"It came to the council's attention yesterday (Tuesday) that a marquee had been put in place to host an after wedding party in Longford town," he said."
"Obviously with the current pandemic and public health guidelines on gatherings, the council could and would not sit idly by and allow this to happen in Longford town."
Cllr Ross said the development was one which had threatened to undo the recent progress both the council and various State agencies had done in attempting to keep a lid on Covid-19 case numbers.
"Our vaccination centre is open, something which we fought hard to get and to see a large public gathering in the midst of all of this really is a kick in the teeth to all of the ordinary, law abiding citizens of this county," he said.
"As Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council it is something I and my colleagues could not stand for."