Brave monk steps in to break up fight on the street in Limerick

A MOYROSS monk bravely broke up a fight after a man was being punched and kicked on the ground.

Video footage of the incident which took place on Saturday in Moyross has been widely shared on social media.

In the clip, two males can be seen fighting on a green area before one is knocked down and onto the road. There are a number of onlookers and many shouts of "Fair go".

While on the ground the prone man is punched and kicked until the monk steps in. The member of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR) ushers the aggressor away. In a sign of the respect that the monks are held in Moyross, the assailant immediately complies.

Limerick Live reports that it contacted St Patrick's Friary in Delmege Park, Moyross, regarding the incident.

Following a query to the Garda Press Office, a spokesperson said: "There are no reported incidents matching the given description recorded on our system at this time."

A relatively new order, the 'Monks of Moyross' as they are colloquially known, swapped the tough streets of the Bronx in New York City to set up a mission in the housing estate in 2007. 

It was the former Bishop of Limerick Dr Donal Murray’s relationship with one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, the late Fr Benedict Joseph Groeschel which helped bring the order to Limerick – in doing so, creating their first mission outside of America and Britain.

They have been welcomed with open arms in Moyross and Limerick as a whole.