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A GOVERNMENT TD has spoken about hearing a group of young men chanting about raping a woman on a nighttime DART train in Dublin last evening.
Alan Farrell was on the last train service towards Malahide after a long day at work and overheard the group chanting “let’s rape her” as a woman stepped off the carriage at a station.
Farrell said that he was “really disturbed” by the incident and has reported to Irish Rail who in turn are set to liaise with gardaí in an investigation.
“The lads said it after the women got off the train. I’m sure she didn’t hear it but there were other women on the train who did hear it,” the Fine Gael TD told The Journal.
“It’s just a really troubling event. It rings so many bells, in the sense of horrible horrific masculinity and bravado but what it ultimately boils down to is one of the most horrifying things that a human being can do to another human being and that’s what I found most disturbing.”
Farrell said he confronted the group of men, who he said were all in their 20s, and that some of them accepted that they did wrong.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt compelled to tweet about such things, but from my journey home tonight on the DART, we have a very long way to go to ensure toxic masculinity is eradicated from our society. Chants of “let’s rape her” were heard amongst lads, after lone women
— Alan Farrell TD (@AlanFarrell) October 7, 2021
He said he was “shocked initially” and asked other passengers if he they had also heard the chant.
The Dáil deputy, who tweeted about the incident last night, described the group as “boisterous, really loud, shouting and roaring”.
Farrell sent a message to the Irish Rail anti-social behaviour helpline and received an email from the company this morning who told him they would take action.
“They did say it when the woman was off the train but imagine what the woman sitting opposite me or adjacent to me was thinking because she definitely heard it and she spent the whole time on the rest of the journey to Malahide just looking at the floor.”
Farrell dismissed any suggestions that the incident should be treated as men engaging in a joke.
“It’s not okay that these young women who witnessed this are intimidated – it’s not all right.
“It’s shocking, it’s degrading, it’s humiliating and it’s intimidating, and it’s against the law.
“A female friend of mine said last night that it wasn’t just toxic masculinity – it was rape culture,” he added.
Farrell does not believe it is a problem solely for extra policing to solve and said it is a “societal problem about a lack of decency”.
Barry Kenny of Irish Rail said the company was aware of the incident and was investigating.
“We contacted Deputy Farrell earlier this morning to get further information, so we can review CCTV and liaise with Gardaí on this appalling incident of verbal abuse and intimidation. Deputy Farrell has been in contact to provide us with this.
“We have up to 20 security teams patrolling our stations and services daily, with greater focus on evening services.
Our central security hub ensures stations are live monitored, and reports from security teams, staff or customers via our text alert systems are responded to as appropriate, with security support or Garda intervention where required
There have been calls for a dedicated transport police force similar to that in the UK to deal with the growing problem of anti-social behaviour on the DART line.
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As a 23 year old man, I genuinely cannot fathom how chanting something like that even came into their heads. And the fact it was a group of them is even more disturbing, even after a rake of pints there’s not even a scenario where it would be understandable
@Sam Murray: 100% agree. I would be furious if anyone in my group of friends ever came out with something like that.
Identify them, then prosecute them and/or public shame them on posters locally like they do for illegal dumping. People need to know this type of behaviour is beyond unacceptable
Good for him for taking action.
@Ger McDonnell: Absolutely, also for having the courage to confront the group of men. Not an easy thing to do. A rowdy group like that can be very intimidating. Fair play to him for having the courage of his convictions.
A “joke” that would be intimidating and downright terrifying to any woman who heard it. For shame
@Elaine Phelan: or was that the point? Is it a “laff” to intimidate women?
@Elaine Phelan: Definitely not a joke, and anybody that thinks it a “bit of a joke” ” only havin’ a laugh” I can assure you that they are really disturbed.
For every incident like this addressed there are 9/10 going unchallenged. Groups of young men need to be challenged as to their attitudes by the people who facilitate their culture. The people who employ them, the authorities they depend on, the pubs that serve them, the clubs that they belong to and their schools and families. The need to be confronted and corrected consistently. That is culture.
@feargal de cantuin: Very strange that my reply to your comment has been deleted given it didn’t contain anything remotely controversial. Questioning your position was obviously deemed to be the product of a bad attitude by the Journal censor…
@feargal de cantuin: By all means go ahead and confront these neanderthals if you feel so obliged and see what happens…. pretty sure you’d get your head kicked in.
Something needs to be done about the ferrals in town
Appalling behaviour but unfortunately not surprising its a regular occurrence.. There should be Transport Police on the Luas and the Dart. And heftier fines and sentences.
I joke with my friends all the time and heaven knows we say dumb things, but its never about rape funnily enough. Farrell is right to call this out, its not normal and it shouldn’t be shrugged off, ever. Same lads would probably shyt themselves if you got up in their face, as cowards do, but thats not the point.
It’s right to raise incidents like this and to get them into the spotlight. It’s just unfortunate that it’s being raised by a TD who had to return over €4K in expense claims in 2019 pertaining to 2017 because he couldn’t stand over them and of course he made an attempt to defraud the insurance industry of €15,000 on the back of a farcical whiplash claim when a car rear-ended his Audi A6 at 5mph. He was embarrassed into dropping his claim after he was found up a ladder hanging election posters. All of that aside it’s great to see awareness raised even if there are huge credibility question marks hanging over the messenger.
@GrumpyAulFella: way to distract attention from the actual subject under discussion.
@Deirdre O’Byrne: I mentioned the subject at least twice in my post. Perhaps read it again. The fact is that fraudsters like this, regardless of the importance of the message, shouldn’t be given air time. The cynic in me can’t help but think that this smacks more of self publicity than a public awareness broadcast.
@GrumpyAulFella: you mentioned your own agenda far more than twice.
@Deirdre O’Byrne: No it doesn’t and nothing he has said is untrue. Unfortunately the cynic in me thinks the same. Self promotion. Maybe instead of protesting to all and sundry he should get onto his colleagues in Government to increase policing on the streets. To set up a Transport police unit for the Dart and the Luas something that has been called for years. They are in most countries in Europe. Make sure all who cause trouble are prosecuted and handed hefty fines or jail sentences. If they are under the age of consent prosecute the parents maybe then they will put some manners on them.
@Franny Ando: and the cynic in me says ye are making these personal attacks in order to distract from the subject matter, while attempting to hide your intentions with “hang’em all” platitudes.
@Deirdre O’Byrne: No one is distracting from the subject matter. That’s just your take I don’t think you are a cynic more a government apologist. He has seen it 1st hand let him do something about it.
Less talk more action. Get his colleagues to set up a Transport policing unit that what’s seriously needed has been for a long time. Its not like there hasn’t been other incidents some extremely violent on both the Dart and the Luas in the past.We have all seen the videos. Its a problem that should have been tackled long ago. Not just as PR exercise.
@Franny Ando: that’s just your take I don’t think you are a cynic as much as a yob apologist.
@Deirdre O’Byrne: Ah Deirdre maybe try coming back with an intelligent well thought out response. Resorting to calling someone a “yob” says more about your character, or lack thereof, than mine.
@Franny Ando: huh. Do what would you call the people who did this? As I said I think, secretly, you have at least some sympathy for them.
Stay classy as always Dublin.
Not all Dublin people are like that
C l o w n.
People with your attitude are part of the problem.
Classy contribution to a serious issue, well done you
We really do need more TDs, and judges, to get the last LUAS or DART home or walk around Dublin at 2am. We need these people to see and experience the fear that we have allowed to be common place by insulating those in power and their consequent unawareness that things like this really happen. Maybe a poll on how people have felt fear in Dublin. Never too late, it is not a criticism but rather a lack of awareness among some that things like this really happen.
Don’t go blaming masculinity for this type of behaviour. Those boys are not men and have no clue about what being a man is.
No men were present, this is evident because that behaviour was not challenged.
@Davis Payne: but, but, I thought a man was anyone who ever had a pen1s, regardless of how they identify or whether they still have one. So are you saying these people never had one?!
You can’t pick and choose what “man” refers to based on behaviour.
@Davis Payne: You might think they have no clue about what being a man is, but these young men clearly thought that their behaviour is perfectly acceptable. You might demonstrate your understanding of your kind of masculinity by standing up to them on a train and calling them out, but they’re demonstrating their understanding of their masculinity by chanting “let’s rape her” at a woman in public. Which is where the phrase “toxic masculinity” comes from.
@Mac Muinteoir: they have no clue how to behave around people. They behave like that because they can as they have not felt any repercussions. Someone needs to stand up and call them out on their behaviour. Guys like that will probably only respond to aggression, I don’t think a good tongue lashing will have much effect.
@Davis Payne: they have a clue how to behave around each other though. Their peers. The people who share their understanding of how to treat women. Who share the same culture as them. The same kind of toxic masculinity. If we’re going to address this seriously, we need to accept that for them, that behaviour is “being a man”.
@Davis Payne: No, enough of this. They are men. Pretending they aren’t, like they’re some ‘other’ to make men look better collectively does nothing to help. Acknowledging that a worrying amount of men are like this or excuse this is important.
There is a fear and intimidation of any woman travelling alone on these services It’s an absolute disgrace doing anything thing like that, There is a need for a Transport Police service
@Paul Maguire: There’s unfortunately a reason Japan has women-only carriages on many of its trains.
While it’s a very grim solution I think it’d be well used if we had such a system here.
This was undoubtedly a shocking incident but I cringe when I hear another male use the term “toxic masculinity”. There’s nothing toxic about being male. There are many toxic behaviours exhibited by humans in general and some behaviours may be more predicated to a specific gender but this term exudes a generalisation and bias that doesn’t stand up in reality. It’s bad enough when women use it but men really should know better. As for these scrotes, I hope the guards catch up with them and deal with them appropriately. Their gender is irrelevant, their behaviour is the issue.
@Declan Doherty: Ah yes, deliberately misunderstanding a term because it’s easier than addressing the issue.
No one said there is no anything toxic about masculinity.
Masculinity is not toxic.
A warped view of what masculinity is can be. And thinking that rape jokes are just “lads being lads” is toxic!
I don’t doubt this has been explained to you numerous times and you’ve chosen to ignore it.
@Declan Doherty: Declan in a threat of rape her, gender is far from irrelevant!
@Declan Doherty: If the idea of toxic masculinity makes you cringe, that says more about you than anyone else.
I wish i could say I’m surprised, but I’m really not.
Assuming there is CCTV, identify and arrest them so that their families/friends and their employers/colleges know the kind of people they are.
It was toxic, but it was not masculine.
Well done to Alan Farrell TD especially for having the courage to confront them.*
As a Fine Gael TD I hope he follows up with political action and gets the government behind a programme to tackle the thuggery and anti-social behaviour that is terrorising people.
* Ouch, that hurt! First time I ever congratulated a FG TD but credit where credit is due.
Can it not just be called toxic behaviour…… why the need for the word masculinity to be added?
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