A man was seen brandishing a knife outside a primary school in Cork city earlier this week, as residents say they’ve noticed a sharp uptick in violence and anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood.

The picture shared with CorkBeo shows a man dressed in all black running down the street while openly carrying what appears to be a long-bladed butcher’s knife. The picture was taken approximately 50 yards from the Taoiseach’s constituency office in Turner’s Cross.

Witnesses say that the snap was taken during a broad daylight attack in which one man was set upon by four others. The victim managed to get to his feet and flee in the direction of Bunscoil Chríost Rí before heading towards Turner’s Cross with the attackers in hot pursuit.

It’s believed that the increase in violence is linked with an uptick in drug dealing in the locality, with residents indicating that dealers operating out of two homes are attracting buyers from across the city.

Locals, who spoke with CorkBeo on the condition of anonymity, as they say they have been threatened by these dealers, say there have been multiple incidents in the area over the last week, including a large street brawl that broke out near a local chipper.

Gardaí were conducting high-visibility patrols in the area earlier this year, but residents say this has now ceased and that incidents of violence and anti-social behaviour have ‘come back worse than ever’ as a result. This includes incidents of theft, street brawling and intimidation, among others.

One resident told CorkBeo: “It’s gotten really, really bad. We know that there are dealers operating out of houses in the area, and it’s just brought people in from all over the city.”

Residents say the matter has been raised with Gardaí, who informed them that a response is being prepared as a matter of priority. CorkBeo has reached out to the Garda Press Office for comment, and enquiries are being made with local Gardaí.

Local councillor Dan Boyle told CorkBeo he is aware of the surge in anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in the area. The Green Party councillor says it may be an unfortunate side effect of increased policing in the city centre, forcing drug dealers out into more residential areas.

Earlier this month, CorkBeo reported on another string of anti-social incidents on the southside of the city. Residents on the nearby Douglas Street in the South Parish told us about a surge in open drug dealing, with some now saying they’re afraid to leave their homes.

Locals said that the past few months have seen an influx of drug users and dealers onto their streets, with much of the activity centred around the area in front of the historic Red Abbey tower.

They say dealers are very active in the area, with large groups of drug users also reported in Tory Top Park in Ballyphehane and around Barrack Street. St Finbarr’s South, known as the South Chapel and the oldest Catholic church in Cork, has had problems with drug use around its grounds.

Nearby Barrack Street has had its own problems with anti-social behaviour and persistent drug dealing, with CorkBeo reporting in 2023 about one infamous location that has been widely known, for over a decade, as a hotspot. Residents in the area have been asking local representatives and Gardaí for action on this for many years, but the situation remains unresolved.