A DISTRAUGHT mother has spoken of her ‘night from hell’ after allowing her 14-year-old daughter attend an underage disco in Letterkenny – and wants the events banned.
The heart-broken mum says she ‘regrets the very minute’ she gave into pressure to allow her child to attend the disco.
She told how her child:
* Ended up in hospital getting her stomach pumped after getting drunk
* Was wearing inappropriate clothing borrowed from older ‘friends’
* Lost her mobile phone and cash
* Was teased on social media for days afterwards.
The mother told us: “I know even speaking to you that there will be parents who will judge me. There will be those who say she shouldn’t have been out; and those who think it’s all ok to be out.
“But I now know I made a huge mistake by giving in to the peer pressure my child was facing and it was the worst thing I ever did.
“My girl knows it was too now, and so I wanted to warn other mothers about what goes on before and after these discos.
“There’s a huge amount of drink taken by kids who frankly don’t know how to handle it; there’s drugs available if you know where to go.
“I can’t do anything to stop these discos and I’m sure some kids go out and behave responsibly but a night out for a young teenager now is miles away from what it was out when I was that age.”
She said her child ended up in hospital because she was so drunk.
“It was a nightmare; I felt just cold,” said the mother.
“You don’t want to see your child like that in hospital when it can be avoided. It was just awful.”
The girl had no money and no phone; a friend had called the mother to say her daughter was ill.
Three months ago Donegal Daily reported how the underage discos were causing concern for Gardai in several towns in the county who were happy that the premises were being run properly, but that crowds were being drawn into several towns, but particularly Letterkenny.
On one evening after a disco gangs from Buncrana and Letterkenny fought running battles with each other.
And last year another mother hit out, claiming gangs of thieves targeted children at one disco, stealing cash and mobile phones.
There is growing disquiet that such events are becoming the ‘norm’.
“I’d rather be on duty when the adults are out in the town than when the 14 and 15 year-olds are out,” admitted on Letterkenny garda.
“This is becoming a serious issue for the town.”
It is also a serious issue for the staff at Letterkenny General Hospital who are left to deal with the aftermath of drink-fuelled nights out by school children.
The mother added: “People will say ‘och sure this has been going on for years’ but I would ask any parent to drive around Letterkenny on the night of an underage disco and ask yourself ‘were we like that?’ and it was never this bad.”