Detectives are to examine social media postings of people present at a disused nursing home in south Dublin as part of investigations into a suspected arson attack which gutted the building over the weekend.
Investigators are expected to formally open an arson investigation after the former Crooksling nursing home, which was also known as St Brigid’s, in south Dublin, near Brittas, was destroyed by fire on Sunday.
Gardaí strongly suspect the building was set on fire deliberately by those opposed to its possible use as asylum-seeker accommodation. It took about 40 firefighters and seven engines almost 12 hours to bring the blaze under control.
The building in Crooksling was decommissioned as a nursing home in 2020 after the Health Service Executive determined it was no longer fit for use. Its residents were transferred to a new facility in Tallaght.
Recently it was one of 300 buildings owned by the HSE being considered by the Department of Integration to house some of the record numbers of asylum seekers who have arrived in Ireland in recent months.
No decision had been made to use the building as asylum-seeker accommodation. In the last year, some 17 properties have been damaged by suspected arson attacks following rumours they were to be used by the Government as asylum-seeker or direct-provision accommodation. In some cases, these rumours proved to be baseless.
The nursing home was subject to several anti-immigration protests before the fire and a security guard had been hired to protect it.
It had also attracted the attention of several prominent far-right activists who visited the scene.
Gardaí plan on examining the social media postings of some of those present at the site before the fire for potential signs of involvement or prior knowledge, sources said.
Some of those present have shown up at previous buildings targeted by arson. However, a senior Garda source said it remained the position of the Garda that these fires are not the result of a single person or group and are instead likely individual “copycat” attacks carried out by locals.
The investigation is being led by a senior investigating officer based in Tallaght Garda station. Gardaí took control of the scene on Sunday night after Dublin Fire Brigade successfully extinguished the fire.
On Monday the building was examined by expert engineers to ensure its safety before Garda forensic and scenes-of-crime examiners moved in.
A Garda spokesman said the results of the examination would guide the investigation and appealed for anyone with information to come forward
Meanwhile, gardaí in Co Wicklow have been made aware of threats to burn down the former Eir depot in Croghan Industrial Estate in Arklow in south Co Wicklow, amid local rumours it is to be used as international protection accommodation.
Protests have been organised outside the site and threats of arson have been made online.
The site, which contains various commercial buildings, is set on 2.9 acres fronting on to Emoclew Road and was put up for sale in April last year. In recent months, workmen have been seen at the site, fuelling unconfirmed rumours about its intended use.
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