Investigation into fire at Dublin pub which was due to house homeless families

The fire on Thorncastle Street, Ringsend Dublin Fire Brigade/X

Ringsend

The fire occured shortly before 2am on Thorncastle Street in Ringsend.

LAST UPDATE
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30 minutes ago

GARDAÍ ARE INVESTIGATING after a fire broke out overnight at a vacant pub and guesthouse in Ringsend, Dublin which had been due to house families experiencing homelessness.

The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive told The Journal in mid-December that it was working to bring the building into use as emergency accommodation for families who present as homeless.

There had been several anti-immigration protests in the area in recent months in response to rumours that the building would be used to house refugees.

In response, the Department of Integration said in mid-December that the International Protection Accommodation Service “has not received any proposal for this property and therefore has neither considered nor examined this property for use”.

There are some anti-immigration accounts on X, formerly Twitter, celebrating that the building had been burned down, believing that it would house migrants.

The fire occured shortly before 2am on Thorncastle Street.

Gardaí and Dublin Fire Brigade, including six fire engines, attended the scene and the fire was brought under control by firefighters.

There has been no reports of anyone injured in the incident.

The scene is preserved for a forensic examination this morning.

Gardaí have said enquiries are ongoing.

Overnight, firefighters were called to a vacant premises on fire in #Ringsend

6️⃣ Fire engines attended including a turntable ladder to fight the fire from above

💨 Smoke drifted across the area

Thanks to @DubCityCouncil who increased the water supply to the fireground pic.twitter.com/NgswSP6jhG

— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) December 31, 2023

Speaking to The Journal this morning, local Green Party Councillor Claire Byrne said: “I think it’s incredibly disappointing that this building has now been put out of reach for those families who are in desperate need for accommodation.

“Dublin Fire Brigade and Dublin City Council have done a great job at keeping the fire under control and keeping the people of Ringsend safe.

“I think the most important thing is that regardless of the circumstances, we now have a building that was being redeveloped for homeless families that is now going to be put out of reach for a considerable amount time.”

Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan for Dublin Bay South posted on X and said: “This is terrible news about a building that was to be used as a family hub for homeless people. Thanks to @DubFireBrigade for ensuring no one in Ringsend was hurt.”

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