Gardaí are appealing for information after a former pub in Dublin was burned amid speculation it was going to be used to house refugees.
The blaze broke out at a vacant property in Thorncastle Street, Ringsend in the early hours of Sunday.
The alarm was raised shortly before 2 am and the fire was brought under control by units from Dublin Fire Brigade.
Gardaí said no one was in the building at the time of the fire, and no injuries have been reported.
However, substantial damage has been caused to the property.
Gardaí are treating the incident as arson and have established an incident room at Irishtown Garda station.
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
A Garda spokesperson 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”.
Anyone with information, including pedestrians and road users who were in the area between 1 am and 2.30 am on Sunday, have been asked to contact Irishtown Garda station 01-666 9600 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800-666 111.
Anyone with camera footage, including dash cam recordings, from the area have also been asked to make it available to investigating officers.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has expressed his concern about the blaze but emphasised that the cause was still under investigation by Gardaí.
“The incident in Ringsend is under investigation by An Garda Síochána, which is doing everything it can to determine the cause of the fire,” he said.
“If this was the result of a deliberate act, all efforts will be made to bring the perpetrators to justice. Anyone with information should contact the Gardaí.”
He added: “The premises was intended for use as emergency accommodation for families.”
Rebecca Black, PA
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