Dublin riots will cost ‘tens of millions’ and brought ‘shame on Ireland’, Varadkar says

Summary of Dublin Riots

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the cost of the riots in Dublin will run into the “tens of millions” and those involved in the violent disorder on Thursday evening will face the full force of the law.He said the knife attack, in which four people were injured, and the subsequent rioting had brought “shame on Ireland”.He also said new laws will be brought in to allow gardaí “make better use” of CCTV footage as evidence and that new hate crime legislation will be introduced.Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the Dublin riots were organised and the Government would now order a review of intelligence gathering.Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the violence was forseeable and she has no confidence in the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris Several schools in Dublin’s north inner city closed at noon on advice from gardaí due to concerns that the violence could resume.His comments come after a night of widespread rioting in the city centre which saw violent clashes between large groups of people and gardaí in Dublin.Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said 34 people had been arrested and “many more arrests will follow”.Mr Harris said a riotous mob had caused huge destruction in the city, including the looting of 13 shops, setting three buses and one Luas tram on fire and damaging 11 Garda vehicles.Numerous gardaí were injured, one seriously.One Dublin bus driver was dragged from their vehicle by the rioters during the violence.During the unrest gardaí clashed with gangs of people, and social media footage showed individual officers being attacked.The violence followed an attack on several people outside the Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire children’s school in Parnell Square by a man armed with a knife.A girl (5) and a woman in her 30s were seriously injured in this attack. The girl remained in a critical condition on Friday morning. The Irish Times understands the woman was an employee of the school or afterschool care facility the children were attending.A six-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy sustained less serious injuries in the attack.The chief suspect, a man in his 40s, was also seriously injured in this incident. Officers said they are not looking for anyone else.Brown Thomas chief executive Donald McDonald expressed sadness and anger at the targeting of the department store by looters last night. The store is set to reopen at noon on Friday.Transport services in Dublin are slowly returning to normal. Transdev, which operates the Luas, said a burned 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.Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone.

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Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said she has no confidence in the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris nor the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee following Thursday night’s “catastrophic” events.

She said the idea that the violence was unforseeable was “nonsense – these hate filled mobs have threatened and brought violence to our streets before. This shouldn’t have happened and – let me be very clear – it can never happen again.

“The people of Dublin need to know that those in charge of government and the head of An Garda Síochána are capable of ensuring that it never happens again.

She had spoken to the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and to the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and informed them there had been an “unacceptable failure to keep people safe last night. However, we all know this problem didn’t start last night. This has been building for months.  

“Sinn Féin has been highlighting the crisis in policing in Dublin city for a long time because we do not have enough Gardaí. Let me say it plainly – people do not feel safe in Dublin City Centre. I do not say the following lightly, but it must be said. I have no confidence in how Dublin is being policed. The people of this city have the right to be safe on their streets, in their homes and in their communities.”

The Dublin riots made unwelcome headlines around the world, appearing on many front pages.

The Times and The Daily Telegraph both featured the riots on the front page of their print editions. The Telegraph is running a live blog on the story, describing it as the “worst disorder in decades” seen in Dublin. The paper quotes Britain’s Levelling Up minister Michael Gove who described the stabbing incident as “horrific” and the riots which followed it as “shocking”.

“People in Dublin endured two terrible attacks yesterday,” Gove was quoted as saying in the newspaper. “So first of all, there was the horrific knife assault. That crime is being investigated, and it would be wrong for anyone to speculate further at the moment. But then later, there was an attack on the rule of law and legitimate authority.”

He added: “It’s more shocking because it’s so rare in Ireland, and the Garda Commissioner and his team, I think, responded in an exemplary fashion to this small flashpoint.”

The Times noted that gardaí are expecting more violence tonight and are assessing how to respond.

The riots made the front page of The New York Times website. “A violent clash between rioters and police in central Dublin on Thursday injured several police officers, one seriously, and prompted the arrests of 34 people,” the paper reported.

“Rioters set fire to police vehicles, destroyed public buses and looted or damaged more than a dozen shops, the Garda said. A mob had gathered in the city centre following a knife attack that had seriously injured a female schoolteacher and three young children.

“The escalating unrest appalled the authorities, who blamed a far-right faction for fuelling tensions by spreading misinformation about the knife attack.”

The Dublin riots was the fourth most read story on The Washington Post website on Thursday. “Ireland’s police chief on Friday described the unrest in central Dublin, in which double-decker buses, trams and police cars were torched, as ‘scenes that we have not seen in decades’,” it stated.

“The violence and looting through some of Dublin’s most famous streets began after a stabbing attack outside a school that left five people hospitalised, including three young children and a woman. Police detained a man who is also being treated for injuries. What police later identified as far-right protesters then took to the streets of Dublin, setting vehicles ablaze and clashing with police.”

The French newspaper Le Figaro stated that the “Irish capital went up in flames this Thursday at the end of the day, after a knife attack near a school which left four injured, including three children.

“Police officers stoned, vehicles burned, stores looted … Dublin descended into chaos this Thursday, November 23 at the end of the day, scene of violent riots in reaction to an attack that occurred earlier in the afternoon.

“The head of the police in the Irish capital spoke of events not seen for “decades” and announced several arrests.”

Germany’s mass-market tabloid Bild described the disturbances as “serious riots”.

The paper added: “According to a reporter from the British news channel Sky News, hundreds of people, some of whom were masked, were said to have taken part in the riots. Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee spoke of ‘thugs, criminals who are using this horrific attack to sow division and cause chaos’.

‘This will not be tolerated,’ she said

“Police Chief Drew Harris blamed the violence on a ‘completely insane group’ driven by a ‘far-right ideology’. He warned against the spread of ‘disinformation’.

“The atmosphere on social media apparently also contributed to the escalation of the situation. According to Harris, there was a ‘huge amount’ of speculation online about the nationality of the alleged attacker. He called on people to ignore ‘disinformation and rumours circulating on social media’. The facts still need to be clarified.”

In the left-leaning Spanish daily El País, columnist Rafael de Miguel wrote: “The citizens of Ireland, an island that has always boasted of being a welcoming country, refuse to admit that the same ultra and xenophobic plague that runs through much of Europe has reached its shores. “Screw them. These pitiful thugs are not us. They do not act for us or speak for us or burn buses for us,” analyst Fintan O’Toole wrote angrily after a long night of violence and fire in the centre of Dublin.

“Many Irish prefer to identify with the Brazilian worker from the Deliveroo delivery company who attacked with his helmet the suspect of stabbing three children and a woman in the early afternoon, in front of a primary school, than with the hundreds of vandals who set fire to the streets and shouted against the immigrants. Police have arrested 34 people for rioting and looting in the city. The authorities anticipate new protests in the coming days, so the presence of agents on the streets will be reinforced.”

Garda Representative Association general secretary Ronan Slevin said a number of members of the force suffered “quite serious” injuries in the riots.

He added: “Yesterday, garda members from all over the country went to Dublin to provide support for their colleagues in an extremely volatile and dangerous situation and we wish to commend all those members who put the safety of their fellow gardaí and the public ahead of their own.

“The Garda Commissioner this morning spoke of reflection required on the tactics employed in such public order situations and we would of course welcome a thorough review with input from our members on the frontline.

“We at the Garda Representative Association have long called for greater resources, better training and to be more appropriately equipped for such events – both in terms of safety equipment and with technology such as body worn recording devices.

“These are issues that we will continue to raise with garda management as well as the ongoing recruitment crisis but at this time we would like to wish our members injured in yesterday’s rioting a speedy recovery and assure them of our full solidarity and support. We need to ensure that all our members are properly protected for their own safety and that of the public.”

Calls for ‘sustained Garda presence on Dublin city centre streets

Publicans have called for changes in policing strategy to ensure there is a “high profile, sustained Garda presence on Dublin streets throughout the city centre”.

The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), which represents Dublin publicans, paid tribute to the bravery displayed by the members of the Garda, as well as other emergency responders. However, it said major changes to boost safety on the streets are needed.

“As everyone who is concerned about Dublin sets about repairing the damage done to the city, we have to take a longer-term, strategic approach to what steps can be taken to ensure lasting solutions. We believe it is essential that the policing strategy is adjusted so that there is now a high profile, sustained Garda presence on Dublin streets throughout the city centre on a permanent basis,” said Donall O’Keeffe, LVA chief executive.

“This needs to be put in place immediately for the key trading period through to New Year, but it also has to amount to a lot more than a short-term response. That means maintaining the presence throughout 2024 and beyond. The LVA has been pressing for the need for higher visibility policing throughout the city for many months and the events on Thursday night once again emphasised why this is essential for the longer term maintenance of public order in our capital.”

Update: Gardaí search address of chief suspect in stabbing attack

Gardaí investigating the stabbing attack on children in Dublin city centre have searched the accommodation of the chief suspect in the case, writes Conor Lally.

The man’s laptop and telephone have also been seized for searching as gardaí try to establish a motive for the attack.

The suspect, who is in his late 40s and is a naturalised Irish citizen, has lived at different addresses around Dublin.

Gardaí believe he is a single man with no children in Ireland, where he has lived for about two decades. As the motive for the attack, at about 1.30pm on Thursday on Parnell Square East, has not been established, gardaí have not ruled out a mental health episode or a terror-related link.

You can read Conor’s full report here.

Calls for ‘day of solidarity’ outside GPO on Monday next

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has called on workers to join a demonstration at the GPO at 1pm on Monday to show solidarity with the people of Dublin and “to clearly denounce this violence”.

Owen Reidy, Ictu general secretary, condemned the “looting and vandalism”, which had damaged businesses and could leave retail and hospitality workers at risk of losing their jobs as a result.

The senior trade union official called for workers to join a demonstration at the GPO at 1pm on Monday to show solidarity with the people of Dublin and “to clearly denounce this violence”.

Online fund for Deliveroo driver who intervened in stabbing tops €25,000 in five hours

An online fundraising page set up to “buy a pint” for the Brazilian deliveryman Caio Benicio, who intervened in the Parnell Square stabbing, has raised €25,000 in the space of five hours.

The Gofundme page was set up by Paul Darcy. “The man’s a hero and the least we can do is buy him a pint so I’m asking you to donate the price of a pint of Guinness in your local to Caio so that he knows the people of Dublin appreciate him,” he wrote.

You can read our interview with Caio Benicio here. “I used my helmet as a weapon to stop him. He fell to the ground. People started crying,” he said.

Dozens appear in court on public order and other charges following Dublin rioting

Dublin District Court is hearing more than 30 public order and other cases arising from the disturbances in the capital’s city centre on Thursday, reports Colm Keena.

By lunchtime on Friday, about 20 people had already been brought from custody before the court and charged with public order and other offences, with a total of more than 30 cases expected before the close of business.

All so far have been granted bail on condition that they do not attend organised or unorganised gatherings in the city until the matter before the court is dealt with.

You can read his full report here.

Cost of riots will run into “the tens of millions” – Taoiseach

The cost of the riots on Dublin’s streets on Thursday will run into “the tens of millions”, Taoiseach Leo Varakdar has said, writes Mark Hennessy.

“The cars destroyed, the trams and buses damaged, we don’t have a figure on that yet, but it is likely to be in the tens of millions, not millions,” he said.

The Taoiseach was speaking after a British Irish Council meeting in Dublin Castle, though a dinner for the political leaders on Thursday night ended early because of the riots.

Help will be offered to the businesses that suffered damages and loss, he said: “We’ll have to work out the details depending on whether they’re covered by insurance or not.”

Senior British minister, Michael Gove said the people of Dublin had suffered two terrible events on Thursday – the Parnell Square stabbings and the later rioting.

“Later there was an attack on the rule of law, and legitimate authority. It was a really small group of people,” he told journalists in Dublin Castle.

“Behaviour of that kind is unacceptable wherever it happens and it’s more shocking because it is so rare, you know, in Ireland,” he said.

The Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and his team had responded to the Dublin disturbances in “an exemplary fashion”, he declared.

“It is a mark of Ireland that this is so rare. It is a mark of Ireland that people responded so quickly and it is a mark of Ireland that there has been universal revulsion,” he said.

Political reaction: calls for resignations in wake of last night’s violence

The positions of both Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris are “untenable” in the wake of the rioting in Dublin, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has claimed, Cormac McQuinn reports.

The Dublin Central TD argued that every single available Garda unit should have been brought to the city after “far right agitators” began circulating plans to assemble on social media on Thursday afternoon.

He accused Mr Harris of downplaying the threat of the far-right over the last 18 months citing protests at refugee reception centres and at libraries.

He also claimed that the Commissioner’s approach has been that they cannot be confronted “for fear of escalation”.

Mr Gannon said: “That has proved last night to be a grotesque failure on the part of the highest echelons of the Garda Síochána.”

He said he wanted Ms McEntee to come before the Dáil to “tell us how this situation was allowed to happen”.

Separately, a nine-strong regional group of TDs has urged the suspension of the Dáil to debate last night’s “disturbing incidents”.

The regional group of TDs submitted a formal request to the Ceann Comhairle today, urging the suspension of all other business in Dáil Éireann on Tuesday next to ensure a comprehensive debate on these urgent matters.

“The right of children to be safe in their communities, as well as the safety of all, must be a top priority,” the nine TDs said in a joint statement. “The group strongly emphasises that there is no place in society for mob mentality, violence, stirring of hatred ideologies and destruction. Members of the regional group commend the bravery of emergency services personnel and condemn the attacks on them as they worked to protect the public during the recent incidents.”

Update: what is and isn’t open for business today

Following the violence and looting which broke out in Dublin city centre on Thursday evening, some services are resuming as normal, while others are opting to close early, reports Jade Wilson.

Retail, cinemas and theatres

Most retailers remained open on Friday, unless advised otherwise by authorities, 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.

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 protests 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 prebooked 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 time.

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 ticketholders directly,” it said in a statement, adding: “We are thinking of all our neighbours in Dublin 1 this morning”.

Public transport

Transport services in Dublin are slowly returning to normal. Transdev, which operates the Luas, said a burned 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 closed early, between 11.30 and 12pm, on advice from gardaí and the Department of Education.

One principal said there was fear large groups would return to the city centre in the afternoon to begin more protests 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. While 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.

‘Staff have been working since 3am’: Clean up in Dublin continues

The Dublin Lord Mayor called yesterday “a really dark day for Dublin” as rioters and looters burnt out out public transport and attacked Gardai.

Clean-up work has been taking place in Dublin as the city comes to terms with last night’s violence, reports Conor Pope.

Dublin Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste said that while last night was a “really dark day for Dublin”, council staff have been working since early morning to clear away debris and burnt vehicles. You can read more of Conor’s report here.

Garda public order unit returns to O’Connell Street

Members of the Garda’s public order unit have returned to O’Connell Street this afternoon, Conor Gallagher reports. While the street is calm at present and clean-up work is continuing, concerns over a repeat of last night’s unrest have led to early school closures and the cancellation of a number of Christmas parties and events in the city-centre.

Some schools in Dublin north inner city close early

Several schools in Dublin’s north inner city confirmed to The Irish Times on Friday that they were closing early, on advice from gardaí and the Department of Education, Jade Wilson reports.

Most schools affected closed at around 12pm. One principal said there were fears that large groups would return to the city centre in the afternoon to begin more protests in the area.

‘It is vital that there is no repeat of what happened yesterday’

More reaction continues to roll in this afternoon:

Arnold Dillon, director of Retail Ireland, said the business group was “deeply shocked” for the violence.

“There is massive concern about the impact on staff, the cost of repairing damage and replacing stock,” he said.

“A strong, assertive and visible Gardai response is required. It is vital that there is no repeat of what happened yesterday,” he said.

Mary Rose Burke, chief executive of Dublin Chamber business group, said threats to public safety must be dealt with “swiftly”.

‘We are doing everything possible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff’

Bernard Gloster, chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE), said the five extra ambulance crews were called in to assist Dublin Fire Brigade’s ambulances.

“I want to thank all of our staff for the work they did in very difficult circumstances,” he said.

“The scenes visible on the streets of Dublin last night have implications far beyond what people can see and this impacts all public services including healthcare for the majority of law abiding citizens,” he said.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff as they go about their work and I am certainly concerned for them when even a small number of people act with intent on causing violence, harm and disruption,” he said.

‘I’m an immigrant too’: Deliveroo rider speaks about intervening in Parnell stabbing

Caio Benicio talks about stopping the violent attack on Dublin’s Parnell Street.

In a statement, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) described the riots as “outrageous thuggery”, while paying tribute to emergency services and council and transport workers.

Owen Reidy, Ictu general secretary, condemned the “looting and vandalism”, which had damaged businesses and could leave retail and hospitality workers at risk of losing their jobs as a result.

The senior trade union official called for workers to join a demonstration at the GPO at 1pm on Monday to show solidarity with the people of Dublin and “to clearly denounce this violence”.

The chief executive of Brown Thomas and Arnotts, Donald McDonald, has expressed sadness and anger that “Dublin’s department store” was targeted by looters last night, but he stressed that a retailer that has stood in the city centre for 180 years would not have its spirit broken by the actions of the rioters, Conor Pope reports.

Mr McDonald said he was “shocked and saddened by the tragic attack on a woman and children at Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire in Parnell Square and the subsequent terrible events last night in Dublin city centre”.

Looters broke into Arnotts via the Abbey Street entrance shortly after it closed and began ransacking limited parts of the store.

“We prioritised customer and team safety and made a timely decision to close the store early yesterday evening,” Mr McDonald said.

“Thankfully nobody was hurt in the events that unfolded at Arnotts and all our team members and customers, while shaken, are safe.”

He noted the rioters “may have damaged our store and stolen some merchandise, but they can never damage the Arnotts spirit – we will not allow them”.

The clean up of Dublin city centre following the riots continues into the morning, here are some best photos taken today of the aftermath of the chaos on Thursday night.

Young girl injured in stabbing remains in ‘critical’ condition

In an update, Garda Headquarters said the five-year-old girl who was stabbed in the Parnell Square attack remained in a “critical condition” in Temple Street children’s hospital.

The other injured girl (6) continues to be treated for less serious injuries, while the boy (5) was discharged from hospital on Thursday evening.

The woman carer (30s) who intervened to try to stop the attack remains in a “serious condition” in the Mater hospital.

The suspect in the attack, who is in his late 40s, also remains in a “serious condition” in hospital, according to the Garda.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information on the attack to call Mountjoy Garda station (01 666 8600), the Garda Confidential Line (1800 666 111) or any Garda station.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said the riots in Dublin city were organised, prompting Government to now order a review of intelligence gathering, Ireland and Britain editor Mark Hennessy reports.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin Castle, the Fianna Fáil leader condemned the rioters. “The better part of our nature must now show itself, the views of the vast, vast majority of the Irish people,” he said.

“People have no time for the type of lawlessness, rioting and attacks on our gardaí, fire services, bus drivers that happened last night.

“When you attack buses, when you attack a Luas, when you attack shops, you’re attacking your own community. You are attacking family, you are attacking friends, you are attacking workers,” he said, ahead of a meeting of the British-Irish Council.

Gardaí assembling evidence after the Parnell Square stabbings and emergency crews were quickly attacked by those who claim that they were protesting, he said. “That is something that cannot be condoned and must be condemned. The scene of any violent incident should always be preserved,” he said.

Defending the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in the face of criticisms about the speed of the Garda response, Mr Martin said gardaí had been quickly on the scene and dealt with a difficult situation.

Crime correspondent Conor Gallagher reports that three gardaí were hospitalised during the riots – several suffered broken toes and fingers, and one suffered more serious injuries.

Some quick-fire analysis from our political correspondent Harry McGee, who is down covering Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s press conference this morning:

The Taoiseach has been taking questions for the past few minutes, and he has said he has full confidence in the Garda Commissioner and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

The thrust of his responses have been the Government is looking to strengthen laws to prevent any recurrence of such events.

Mr Varadkar has honed in, in particular, on modernising incitement to hatred legislation, which he has said is not fit for the social media age. He also says changes will be made to laws on gathering CCTV evidence to ensure gardaí have access to all images.

Government to pass new CCTV laws to take actions against rioters

Speaking this morning, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government will seek to pass new laws in the coming weeks “to enable the gardaí to make better use of the CCTV they collected” during the riots and prosecute those involved.

Mr Varadkar said legislation for hate crime would also be brought before the Oireachtas in response to the riots.

“It’s now very obvious to anyone who would have doubted it that our incitement to hatred legislation is not up to date for the social media age,” he said.

The “criminals” rioting last night were not acting out of patriotism, but as they were “filled with hate”, he said.

“We will pass new laws in the coming weeks to enable the gardaí to make better use of the CCTV they collected yesterday,” he said. The “full resources of the State” would be brought to bear on those involved, he said.

“As a Government we will be relentless in protecting our citizens and defending our people,” he said.

The Fine Gael leader said the care assistant injured in the stabbing on Parnell Square had used her body to shield injuries against other children.

He said the person who carried out the attack was “intent on murder”, adding that gardaí have obtained his computer.

Mr Varadkar has said he has full confidence in Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

There should be “no criticism” of the gardaí or Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, he said.

He said a number of gardaí were injured last night, most of whose injuries were minor, but he said one garda sustained a serious injury to his foot.

Mr Varadkar accepted that any incitement to hatred legislation could not be applied retrospectively and could not be used in respect to the events of Thursday night.

There would be a considerable Garda presence in the city centre on Friday night, and Mr Varadkar urged people who had planned to come into the city on Friday night to go ahead with their plans and not change them.

The Taoiseach addressed concerns that people of colour in Ireland might be afraid of what they saw last night, as some rioters shouted anti-immigrant slogans.

“I want them to know what they witnessed yesterday was the work of a tiny majority and was not representative of the vast majority of Irish people,” Mr Varadkar said.

The Rotunda Hospital has advised people that if they have an appointment at the maternity hospital today that outpatient and scheduled procedures are still going ahead.

There are some traffic diversions around Parnell Square, parts of which has been cordoned off as gardaí continue to investigate the stabbing attacks that took place on there Thursday, however traffic is able to reach the hospital.

Neil McDonnell, chief executive of ISME, who represent small and medium businesses, said the justice system needed to “take a serious look” at how he said it had permitted the “erosion of confidence in the rule of law”.

“Retail staff are not afraid of immigrants, they are afraid of unrestrained thuggery, violence and theft that occurs daily in their stores,” he said.

There were no Dublin Fire Brigade personnel injured on Thursday night during the riot, a spokesman has said.

Conor Pope, consumer affairs correspondent, reports from Dublin city centre this morning:

The smell of burning plastic and rubber is still hanging in the air at the top of O’Connell St as two burnt-out buses sit on top of articulated lorries, and maintenance crews slowly sift through the wreckage of a Luas tram that was set on fire last night.

The shock on the faces of passersby is evident as they take in the scale of the destruction just opposite the Gresham Hotel.

Hundreds of council workers who have been on site since 3am have been clearing the streets of the detritus of the riots with the dozens of gardaí standing sentry duty outside some of the most badly looted shops.

The north Quays at O’Connell Bridge remain blocked, but there is some traffic moving along O’Connell Street.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the riot that “wreaked havoc” in Dublin was the actions of a “violent mob of thugs and criminals”.

Gardaí would now comb through thousands of hours of CCTV footage to bring charges against people involved in the riots, she said.

Discussions online about any further protests would be monitored by the Garda, she told Morning Ireland.

Ms McEntee said her thoughts were with the victims of the stabbing attack on Parnell Square.

“I think people are trying to get their heads around what has happened … the fact that such innocent small children were attacked in this way,” she said. “This was a situation that unfolded in a matter of seconds,” she said.

The five-year-old girl who was seriously injured in the Parnell Square stabbing is “still in a very serious condition”, as is a carer who was also injured, Mr Harris said.

“There is no failure here, this is regrettably how protests have moved on,” Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said.

“We are going to have a fundamental review of our public order tactics,” he said. Gardaí “stood up to the plate” during the protests, he said.

“These are scenes that we have not seen in decades; it is clear people have been radicalised over social media,” he said.

“Thirty-four arrests have been made, many more will follow,” he said.

Mr Harris said gardaí had to make the “assumption that following the events of last night, we are going to seen further protests”.

Riot sees 34 arrests and 13 shops looted, says Harris

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said 34 people were arrested during riots in Dublin last night.

There were 13 shops looted, with three buses, one Luas tram and 11 Garda vehicles damaged, he said.

Speaking this morning, Minister for Education Norma Foley said she was “shocked beyond measure” at the attack on children on Parnell Square, outside of Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire.

The primary school was a “great school,” with “great staff” in a “great community,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

Ms Foley said the heroics of passersby and others who intervened to protect children stood in stark contrast to the destruction caused by rioters.

“The actions of a violent few who created chaos, who upended the city, they are not reflective of society,” she said.

‘I didn’t even make a decision, it was pure instinct’

Details are emerging about some of the heroic actions of members of the public who intervened to stop the stabbing of the group of children on Parnell Square.

The Journal last night spoke to Caoi Benicio, a Brazilian Deliveroo driver who after witnessing a man attacking a young girl with a knife, dismounted his bike and starting hitting the attacker with his helmet.

“I didn’t even make a decision, it was pure instinct, and it was all over in seconds. He fell to the ground, I didn’t see where knife went, and other people stepped in,” he told the Journal.

“I have two kids myself, so I had to do something. I did what anyone would do. People were there but they couldn’t step in because he was armed, but I knew I could use my helmet as a weapon,” he said.

A little after 10pm on Thursday night myself and crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher recorded an In The News podcast, after reporting from the scene of the riot, you can listen to the podcast here: Dublin stunned by a dark day of violence.

Public transport information

Dublin Bus has advised commuters that although its services are operating this morning, diversions are in place around Parnell Street, Parnell Square, and O’Connell Street. Passengers have been advised to expect delays to some services.

For the Luas, Red line services are not running between Smithfield and Connolly, while there is no service between St Stephen’s Green and Broombridge on the Green line.

Irish Rail has said Dart, Commuter and Intercity train services are operating as normal.

Good morning, Jack Power, news reporter, here, bringing you the latest from the aftermath of the major riots in Dublin city centre last night.

Gardaí are currently stationed outside a number of shops that were broken into and looted on Thursday night amid the chaos, as clean-up crews work to remove the debris from a burnt-out bus at the top of O’Connell Street.