Over 1000 gardai were on duty to protect rugby fans and local residents in the event that protests against playing God Save the Queen would turn violent.

Over 100 people participated in a protest organised by Republican Sinn Fein to show their opposition to the playing of the English national anthem at the venue where British soldiers murdered 14 civilians in 1920.

The protest was moved from its original venue at the junction of North Circular Road and Summerhill Parade near the Sunset House pub to Quinn's pub in Drumcondra. RSF president Ruairi O Bradaigh later went to Croke Park to try and deliver a letter to GAA officials making a list of complaints about a series of events "designed to normalise British rule" in Ireland.

Two undercover Scottish police officers have been in Dublin since Thursday to monitor the activites of suspected football hooligans. Scottish police received intelligence that up to 40 fans banned from all matches in Britain because of previous convictions for football hooliganism would be travelling to Ireland for a friendly match on Friday night between Aberdeen and Bohemians. Most were expected to stay in Dublin for the weekend.

Aberdeen fans began arriving on Thursday with the majority staying around the Gardiner Street area. Members of the garda Public Order Unit were on duty at the match which passed without incident.

Several known hooligans were identified by the two British policemen and closely monitored by gardai. Three Aberdeen fans were detained for Public Order incidents and there were a number of incidents in local pubs both before and after the match.