A fire that gutted a former Dublin pub earmarked for housing homeless families is being treated as a suspected arson by gardaí.
Investigators have completed a forensic investigation of the scene and believe the fire, which broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Eve at the Shipwright pub in Ringsend, was likely started deliberately.
CCTV evidence has been gathered from the immediate area which gardaí hope will help identify suspects.
The building has been at the centre of false rumours, spread by far-right campaigners, that it was to be used to house dozens of asylum seekers. It has been the scene of several protests in recent weeks.
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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee noted that the fire was under investigation, but said that if it was proven to have been started deliberately all efforts would be made to bring the perpetrators to justice. They appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
Sources said they suspect the fire was set by people who falsely believed the building was to be used for asylum seeker accommodation. There have been calls from anonymous social media accounts for the premises to be burned down. Various far-right accounts celebrated the fire throughout Sunday and continued to claim without evidence it was intended as asylum seeker accommodation.
It is one of several fires to break out in recent months at premises rumoured or confirmed to be earmarked for housing asylum seekers. A former hotel in Rosscahill, Co Galway was destroyed in December in a suspected arson after being acquired for asylum seeker accommodation.
Two weeks ago, the Department of Integration said it had not considered the Ringsend property for use for asylum seeker accommodation. On Sunday, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DHRE) reiterated a previous statement that the building was to be used for homeless families, including from the local area.
Calling the fire “very disappointing”, a spokesman said the intended use had been communicated to local politicians and “people contacting the DRHE”.
It said “families who experience homelessness are like any other; some are working, all are trying to juggle schools and busy lives as well as looking for somewhere to rent. If we cannot open facilities, there is a risk that families will not have access to basic shelter”.
Dublin Fire Brigade said it deployed six fire engines and 30 firefighters to deal with the fire just before 2am on Sunday. A spokesman said firefighters found “a well-developed fire with heavy smoke drifting over the locality”. The fire was eventually brought under control at 5am.
A Garda spokesman appealed for anyone with information to contact Irishtown Garda station or the Garda Confidential Line. He said the force “is aware of a significant volume of misinformation, disinformation and rumour in relation to the use or proposed use of the building”.
Ms McEntee said gardaí “are doing everything possible to determine the cause of the fire”. She said arson is a very serious crime “which carries heavy prison sentences. No one has the right to cause damage to property, to cause fear or to threaten public order.”
The fire was condemned by various local politicians, including Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin Bay South Jim O’Callaghan. “This is terrible news about a building that was to be used as a family hub for homeless people,” he said.
Green Party councillor Claire Byrne said: “This is so unbelievably sad to see. The building was to be used by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive as a family hub.”
