Ballina hotel is forced to deny hoax video of brawl at concert

The Great National Hotel in Ballina has denied rumours that an alleged incident took place at well-known country singer Declan Nerney’s concert in the hotel last Friday night.

Video footage circulated at the weekend that showed an incident where a brawl broke out at a hotel claiming it to be in the Great National Hotel in Ballina. However, the video was actually recorded in 2018 at a kickboxing event in Co Clare.

The Great National Hotel in Ballina denied the rumours in a statement released yesterday (Monday) morning.

“It has come to our notice that there have been some extremely negative online postings linking The Great National Hotel Ballina to an alleged altercation that supposedly occurred last Friday evening during our hosting of Declan Nerney,” the hotel said. “We want to make unequivocally clear that these allegations are not only untrue but also far from the reality of what took place. The video footage being circulated is from 2018 and pertains to an incident that occurred at a different hotel in Clare after a kickboxing event. It has absolutely no connection to our establishment or the events that transpired during Declan Nerney’s performance.”

The Great National Hotel said it understands that rumours and misinformation can spread quickly in today’s digital age, but management at the hotel wants to reassure all their guests, patrons, and friends that they provide a safe environment for all, especially when hosting music events and other promotions.

“We have stringent security measures in place to ensure the well-being and enjoyment of everyone in attendance. The safety and satisfaction of our guests remain our top priorities. We are committed to upholding our reputation as a reputable and responsible host for events of all kinds, and we want to reassure you that the recent online postings are unrelated to our establishment.”

It is understood the fake video was widely shared on social media channels.