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Vehicles set on fire in the city centre
your stories
'Fear like never before': 21 readers on how the Dublin riots affected them
Rioting and looting spread like wildfire across town as gardaí tried to get crowds under control.
AFTER PUBLIC DISORDER erupted in Dublin’s city centre last Thursday, few people were left unaffected.
Rioting and looting spread like wildfire across town as gardaí tried to get crowds under control.
Several vehicles were set alight, including a Dublin bus and a Luas tram, halting all public transport in and out of the city centre and leaving many people stranded.
Since Thursday, 48 people have been arrested and more than 30 have been called before the courts.
We asked readers to get in touch with their experiences of the chaos and the feelings they harbour in the aftermath.
Vulnerable people
Joseph, who is visually impaired, was walking from Gardiner Street Lower on Thursday evening to get to the LUAS.
“Just as I arrived on Parnell Street, the smell of smoke, rubbish, flames of fire, bangers, bins, chairs, bottles, you name it, in every direction.
“I was left struggling and shaken so badly knowing there was a war around me.”
“I was so confused and nervous what to do or what way to go … thuggery, [people] saying ‘What you looking at?’, ‘I’ll give you a kick in the face’.
“I thought I was for dead.”
Several elderly people also expressed fear about travelling alone in town now.
Johnny Gordon, who is 86-years-old, said: “I’m afraid to walk from the Mater Hospital to Parnell Luas from medical appointments due to regular reported presence of gurriers.”
‘The first time I’ve ever been ashamed of our homeland’
Dave moved to Vancouver in 2018, but says he’s always been proud to call Ireland home.
“Waking up last Friday reading the carnage that happened in Dublin was the first time I’ve ever been ashamed of our homeland.
“From the west, I lived in Dublin for 10 years before leaving and I cannot imagine that such a multicultural, welcoming city has resulted to this.
“There is not a single family in the country that hasn’t had a loved one emigrate at one point or another. We as Irish people are not allowed to be anti-immigration/racist.
“The looting and other carnage just shows a complete and utter lack of respect for fellow man.”
Another reader, an Irish person who has lived abroad for five years, was hoping to move home next year to be nearer family.
“Seeing the disgusting behaviour and, more deep-rooted, the anti-immigration rhetoric coming from people, it has changed my decision.
“Irish people are spread out worldwide and have been accepted on almost every border and shoreline we have approached. To think this beautiful, friendly country is turning on foreign nationals is so saddening and disappointed.
“I will remain living abroad until Ireland sorts its attitude out.”
Anthony, a Dubliner living in Finland, said he felt “sick to [his] stomach” hearing what happened on the city’s streets.
“I’ve always been proud to be Irish but I was utterly ashamed last weekend after the riots.
“My friend is a bus driver and was working in the city that night and he was very worried about his safety.”
‘This is my favourite time of year in the city I live in, and I haven’t set foot in it since’
Many readers who had plans to visit the city over the Christmas period have since changed their minds.
One parent of a 21-year-old and a 16-year-old says they no longer want their children in the city centre.”We will be staying local for meals out, whereas used to go into town at Christmas time.”
Another parent said: “It’s utterly heartbreaking our city has come to this.
“We were so excited to bring our five-month-old baby to town so he could look at the lights and do Christmas shopping, but now I wouldn’t dream of it.”
One reader said the actions of the rioters won’t deter him from enjoying the festive season in the capital.
“The riot was shocking but it isn’t going to put me off travelling. I love Dublin and I know it is full of lovely trusting people who were equally horrified by the actions of a few thugs.”
Another reader said the events “laid bare that we have a serious problem with far-right rhetoric in this country”.
“I had initially planned to visit Dublin over Christmas in order to meet people that I had not seen in a while, but we have since made other arrangements as we don’t want to risk something happening were we to be there.”
One renter who has lived all over Dublin said the riots have tainted a special time of year.
“I have rented in various places in Dublin for many years and I have overall loved it really; the buzz of the ‘Big Smoke’, the new friends, the career experiences, the all-year-round sport, the warm pubs, the local independent shops tucked in among the nice big trendy brands.
“I have particularly loved Dublin each year when the leaves change colour and the excitement of the Christmas build up in the city begins.
“Pausing on a walk through town to watch the unsung heroes hang up the Christmas lights, in happy anticipation of who would turn them on; organised folks gathering and scrambling for the perfect gifts for loved ones before the December shopping madness begins; the buskers on Grafton Street and every other street too.
“How have the riots affected me? This is my favourite time of year in the city I live in, and I haven’t set foot in it since.”
‘Fear like never before’
One reader wrote of their five-year-old son, who attends creche around the corner from where the stabbing incident occurred. The traffic meant it took two hours for her to get to him due to the traffic.
“People who come to the city either to work to live or just to visit are not the enemy of our children – those who trashed my city, scared my children and myself and the other residents … are the enemy.
“What they did does not speak for me or my children and never will.”
Mother-of-two Agata said she feels “fear like never before”.
“People are becoming more and more aggressive every year. That’s what it seems. Dublin city centre is not safe at all.
“My son is 12 and he is scared to go by bus by himself to school as his classmates told him what happened in the city on Thursday. I was hoping he still wasn’t able to find out as he doesn’t have internet access to use by himself.
“Now I am travelling everywhere with him through town. It’s time-consuming as I am a busy working mom. I fear for safety of my children in the city.”
Another mother, Angela, told of her 18-year-old son who was staying late at college in town to work on a project.
“He was shocked and appalled when he saw the fires and looting. At 18, he couldn’t understand how burning buses and Luas trams can help in any way.
“We were in constant contact with him and he got home to Navan safely.
“He is as saddened as are we, that the actions of one man could spur the actions of groups of people.”
A father told us he was due to meet his 14-year-old son to go to the cinema on the evening of the riots.
“Not a hope of that, I won’t be taking any chances now.
“I commute into the city for work but won’t be staying on after work any more. Once it gets dark it’s not safe to be around the streets.
“[There's] not enough of a Garda presence in the city to deter the troublemakers from violence. Until there is, I’ll be staying away.”
Migrant safety
One healthcare worker said his Irish-born son is aware of the hatred expressed towards migrants.
“Do we as immigrants really stand a chance for our own wellbeing and for our next generation?
“We are adults and capacity to absorb anything but one thing I couldn’t absorb was my six-year-old’s comment on a conversation between me and my spouse of why within the retail park there were less people on the weekend.
‘Dad, don’t you know people are getting stabbed and it’s against us immigrants?’
“This event has implanted this thought in a six-year-old child’s mind … I’m not sure how we as parents can do less or more in our power to protect our own children from this hatred and divide.”
Another reader who is white said their mixed-race teenage daughter was afraid to take the bus to school after the riots.
“[She] was so upset and anxious from watching the violence with racist sentiment shared on social media … Her friends at school were all equally scared.”
Filipe from Brazil says he now avoids speaking Portuguese in public spaces and is staying away from the city centre for the foreseeable.
“I know it’s sad, but it’s reality.”
A Turkish immigrant who has lived and worked in Dublin for five years said he was supposed to go for dinner with a friend on Parnell Square, but the restaurant was cut off by the garda cordon. He’s not letting Thursday’s events scare him.
“For my part, I continue to go to the city centre. A day after the riots I was at the Abbey Theatre, and had few drinks in a nearby pub.
“I understand everyone’s safety concerns but I think the worst we can do is to handover the city centre to few thugs.”
‘I could not stop crying’
On Thursday evening, Sharon (57) was attending an Abba tribute concert in the Olympia with her daughter, when the performance was paused and the doors locked for security.
“It was a terrifying and uncomfortable experience.
“I could not stop crying once home. I work in Baggot St. I have not been back into town or the office since Thursday night.
“I feel ashamed to be from Dublin.”
Tom (58), a regular commuter to Dublin from Dunboyne, also said he felt ashamed.
“I plan never to go back into Dublin again and will be advising my grown up children and wife to do likewise. I’m very saddened to come to this decision.”
One retail worker who has worked in the industry for 27 years said they’ve never seen behaviour like it.
Patrick is from Westmeath but works on Dublin’s southside. Every evening, he cycles from his workplace to the bus stop at the quays to go home. On Thursday he had a puncture and so he walked through the riot scenes, where he saw vehicles being set on fire.
“Since the riot my wife – who is a non-national – has been reluctant to travel to Dublin, despite working there. Luckily she can work remotely easily,” he said.
“It affected her quite a bit worse than me, despite the fact that I was there when events were unfolding.
“Having spent a lot of time in Dublin and lived there most my life the events didn’t surprise me or in any way change my opinion of the city. I went by O’Connell Bridge after work the next day and the street was extremely quiet – the quietest I had seen it since Covid.”
