Following the violence and looting that broke out in Dublin city centre on Thursday evening after a knife attack that injured five people, including three children, some services are resuming as normal while others are opting to close early.
Public Transport
Transport services in Dublin are slowly returning to normal. Transdev, which operates the Luas, said a burnt-out tram would be removed today which would allow full services to resume.
All Dublin Bus services are operating as normal, though some city centre services are being diverted.
Schools
Several schools in Dublin’s north inner city confirmed on Friday that they were closing early, on advice from gardaí and the Department of Education.
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Most schools that stated they would be closing at 12pm. One principal said there was fear large groups would return to the city centre in the afternoon to begin more rioting in the area.
Schools in other parts of the city centre and further afield were remaining open as normal.
Hospitals
The Rotunda Hospital, which had advised against travelling to the hospital on Thursday “unless necessary” due to the unrest, said patients who had an appointment on Friday should come in as scheduled.
Outpatient services and scheduled procedures would go ahead on Friday, it said. Although there were diversions around O’Connell Street, Parnell Street and Parnell Square, traffic could reach the Rotunda, the hospital said in a statement.
The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital requested that the public “do not visit the hospital at this time”. Restrictions at the hospital would be in place from Friday for 72 hours, it said. “The only visitors who will be allowed on campus are those who are visiting patients in critical care, vulnerable young adults, psychiatry patients or those whose loved ones are receiving end-of-life care,” it said.
The statement said the restrictions were in place for “public and patient safety reasons” and “every effort is being made to ensure the security of the hospital”. Staff, visitors or patients travelling to the Mater by bus should use bus stops located at Lower Dorset Street and in Phibsboro, it said.
Retail, cinemas and theatres
Retailers were intending to remain open on Friday, unless advised otherwise by authorities later in the day, said Arnold Dillon, director of Retail Ireland.
“At the moment, shops are open for business, but if the situation changes they will follow the advice of gardaí,” he said.
Retail Ireland was “deeply shocked” by the violence on Thursday evening, he said in a statement, adding: “There is massive concern about the impact on staff, the cost of repairing damage and replacing stock.”
Brown Thomas reopened at noon on Friday, as chief executive Donald McDonald expressed sadness and anger at the targeting of the department store by looters last night.
Arnotts Department store on Henry Street, which was looted during the riots last night, reopened for business at noon and would remain open until 6pm, Mr McDonald said.
Nobody was hurt in the events that unfolded at the shop on Thursday, he said.
An Post said the GPO on O’Connell Street reopened for all business at noon, with the later opening time allowing for the clean-up operation in the city centre and resumption of public transport for staff and customers.
Some shops on Grafton Street said they intended to close early to allow staff to get home safely in the event any more rioting resumed or in case of further disruptions to public transport.
The Light House cinema in Smithfield said it would be closing at the earlier time of 6pm “for the safety of our staff and patrons”.
All pre-booked tickets for impacted shows will be refunded, the cinema said in a statement.
Other cinemas in Dublin’s city centre had not indicated any intention to close early as of Friday afternoon.
The Gate Theatre cancelled its performance of Peter Pan on Thursday evening due to the unrest in the area, but it had not indicated any intention to cancel Friday performances, as of the afternoon.
The Abbey Theatre said Pegeen’s cafe and the theatre building were “open as normal” on Friday, and its production of The Quare Fellow would go ahead as planned on Friday evening.
“Should anything change with any performances, we will contact ticket holders directly,” it said in a statement, adding: “We are thinking of all our neighbours in Dublin 1 this morning.”
