Seven films of teenagers in Kilkenny, some as young as 12, fighting while being egged on by other youngsters, have appeared on YouTube. The videos have been edited and are accompanied by popular dance music. In some of the footage, blood is seen pouring from youths. The brutality includes one bloodied young man being head butted at least twice.

The fights appear to be orchestrated by a 27-year-old unidentified male who takes responsibility for uploading the numerous bloody images. One of the videos, posted on January 1, shows a number of secondary school students engaging in fights in a number of locations around Kilkenny city.

One video shows a teenager stripped of his shirt, beating another student. A middle-aged man walks past, visibly shocked at what he is seeing. Another shot shows a teenager cowering on the ground with his hands over his head while his attacker continues to beat him.

Michael Moriarty, general secretary of the Irish Vocational Education Association (IVEA), has warned that this growing trend of schoolboy "fight clubs" could lead to an increase in youth suicide.

“This is a form of extreme bullying and it is very worrying for parents, schools and community leaders,” said Mr Moriarty.

“It is a particularly bad form of intimidation, designed in particular to humiliate victims. It is of the greatest concern when seen in the context of a worrying increase in youth suicide in Ireland.”

He said that, while schoolboy fight clubs were shrouded in secrecy, videos of fights were often put on the internet as a form of grotesque entertainment.

“The intention is to bully, intimidate, humiliate and spread a culture of violence and I find this glorification of violence particularly abhorrent."

“They are part of a sub-culture that exists below the radar and the Health Service Executive or educational authorities must do more to combat it,” he added.

Last year, school authorities at Clonakilty Community School rejected claims that some first-year students at the school were running a fight club. However, footage of fights between boys, captured on mobile phone and circulated to other phones, raised questions. A number of students at the school were suspended during the spring term. 

Kilkenny CBS principal Dermot Curran said anyone who was hurt, or anyone with information, should contact the gardai. (Source: Irish Examiner)