Latest news with #TempleBar
BreakingNews.ie
7 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Garda (32) convicted of assaulting teenager in Temple Bar in 2021
A garda has been convicted of assaulting a teenager in Temple Bar four years ago following a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Lorcan Murphy (32) of Pearse Street Garda Station pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. Advertisement The assaults on the then 17-year-old took place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1st, 2021. After four hours and 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous verdicts of guilty on both counts. There was complete silence in the court after the jury delivered its verdict. Judge Pauline Codd thanked the jurors for their service. She adjourned the matter for sentencing until November 3rd next, in order to prepare a probation report and a victim impact statement. She remanded Murphy on continuing bail. Advertisement The evidence 'I was assaulted, I was tripped up supposedly, I fractured my skull,' the complainant told the court, adding that he had no recollection of events. He said he'd been 'drinking that day' and had also been 'smoking weed'. He also said that he 'could have been' carrying alcohol. He went to meet his girlfriend in Temple Bar and said the last thing he remembered was walking past McDonald's on Grafton Street. He said 'waking up in James' Hospital' was the next thing he remembered. Someone in the hospital told him he was involved in an incident with the gardaí. Advertisement He said he ran out of the hospital as he 'freaked out' and thought nothing was wrong with him. He woke up with a pain in his head, then went to the Mater Hospital before being transferred to Beaumont Hospital, where he stayed for five days. He said he had headaches but has no issues with his memory. The complainant stated that he had spoken to Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) and provided them with two videos: one of himself on the ground, which someone else had recorded, and another of the garda approaching him, which he had taken himself. Advertisement He stated that he was not charged with any offences in relation to the events in Temple Bar that day. The complainant agreed during cross-examination that he had no recollection of the incident, due to a head injury, but accepted that alcohol and cannabis could have contributed to his lack of memory. Defence counsel asked the witness if he was someone who would obstruct the gardaí, and he said that 'sometimes if they came to me Ma's house'. When asked how he would obstruct the gardaí, the complainant said: 'Just resist arrest, but I wasn't resisting arrest this time'. Advertisement He accepted that he was interviewed by Gsoc, now Fiosru, but disagreed with a suggestion that he lied about his alcohol consumption. The jury heard that the complainant has 44 previous convictions, and 10 days after this alleged incident, he kicked and beat a person after they had withdrawn money from an ATM on O'Connell Street, then went through their pockets. The complainant stated that he is a person who is respectful to others in society and has not engaged in anti-social behaviour since he was 15. When it was put to him that beating people up and robbing them in public is not respectful, he replied, 'I'm paying for my mistakes'. Other evidence CCTV was shown to the court of two gardaí, one of whom was Mr Murphy, on Essex Street, along with CCTV from Pearse Street Garda Station. Darragh Fitzpatrick gave evidence that he had gone to Essex Street after hurling training to socialise with friends. Asked if he saw any interaction between gardaí and the complainant, he replied: 'He seemed out of it, he didn't seem to know what was going on.' Mr Fitzpatrick said he saw 'a bit of grabbing and handcuffs being placed on him [the complainant] and hearing something about a knife'. When he heard the word 'knife', he took a step back. He said he saw a garda, identified as Mr Murphy, 'spear tackle' the complainant. Mr Fitzpatrick described the complainant going 'limp and lifeless', adding that he was 'frozen' and was 'initially very shocked'. Defence counsel put to Mr Fitzpatrick that when he heard the word 'knife', he had the benefit of retreating. He replied, 'I think I stood my ground,' but acknowledged that he may have taken a step back. Aileen Fitzmaurice's evidence was that she could not hear what was said between the gardaí and the complainant, but thought there was an 'aggressive demeanour'. She said everything happened quite quickly; the complainant ended up face down on the ground. He was restrained by the gardaí, and she then heard shouting, 'Where is the knife?' The gardaí first lifted the complainant to his feet, and then she described, 'It was like they flipped him in a sudden manner and bashed his head off the ground.' She also described hearing a loud sound. Under cross-examination, she confirmed she heard 'where is the knife' said repeatedly, but she could not remember the exact sequence of events. Eoghan Hickey's evidence was that he heard one of the gardaí saying 'drop the knife' repeatedly. He described the complainant as being 'limp' when he was brought to the garda van. He agreed with defence counsel during cross-examination that he heard gardaí shouting 'where is the knife' while the complainant was upright. Dr Haroon Khan gave evidence of being called to Pearse Street Garda Station. He said he noted the complainant was intoxicated, tried to rouse him, but did not speak to him before having him transferred to the hospital. Consultant neurosurgeon Mr John Caird gave evidence that the complainant had a fracture to the skull and a contusion to the brain and has made an excellent recovery. The defence case Two statements from Mr Murphy were read to the jury. He went to assist a colleague, who was dealing with the complainant. He instructed the complainant to remove his hands from his pockets, then noted the young male tense up. He stated that the complainant was again asked to remove his hands from his pockets, but he did not comply. Mr Murphy said the complainant produced a glass bottle in such a way that he believed he was at risk of being struck with the bottle, which was then pushed out of the complainant's hand. The complainant was informed that he was being placed under arrest. He was placed on the ground, and another garda placed one handcuff on him. The complainant's second hand was under him, and he was resisting arrest. Mr Murphy said he managed to take hold of the complainant's second hand, and he was handcuffed. He said that the complainant was spitting towards him. Mr Murphy stood up and took the complainant to his feet. He told a crowd which had gathered to get back, but they didn't. Mr Murphy said he felt unsafe both for himself and the arrested complainant. He said he had his hand on the complainant's back and felt him shift his weight, and Mr Murphy then performed a leg sweep. The side of the complainant's body and head made contact with the ground. Mr Murphy checked him visually and said that at no stage was he unconscious. He requested prisoner transport and that a doctor be called to Pearse Street Garda Station. Closing speeches Prosecuting counsel John Gallagher BL told the jury the prosecution's case is that excessive force was used in the leg sweep, which resulted in the complainant's head impacting the ground. He submitted that the level of force used to bring the complainant to the ground after his initial arrest was not reasonable, inherently dangerous and likely to cause injury to the complainant. World Keith Byrne jailed for 15 years for murder of Kirs... Read More He said the prosecution also says that pulling the complainant's head using his hair in Pearse Street Garda Station, then applying force to his chest, is also an assault, which caused harm in the form of immediate pain. Justin McQuade BL, defending, told jurors that the law requires them 'to stand in the shoes of Garda Murphy and view the situation that unfolded through the circumstances he believed them to be'. He said the force used was a leg sweep, and it was an 'unfortunate secondary impact' when the complainant hit his head on the ground, adding that his client 'did not have the luxury of picking a softer landing point'. Mr McQuade suggested that if gardaí are going to be criminalised for using force, they may be slower to use it in the future and that benefits no one.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Irish Times
Garda convicted of assaulting teenage boy in Temple Bar
A garda has been convicted of assaulting a teenager in Temple Bar , Dublin four years ago. Lorcan Murphy (32), of Pearse Street Garda station, pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. The assaults on the then 17-year-old took place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and at Pearse Street Garda station on June 1st, 2021. After four hours and 20 minutes of deliberation following a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court , the jury returned unanimous verdicts of guilty on both counts. READ MORE There was complete silence in the court after the jury delivered its verdict. Judge Pauline Codd thanked the jurors for their service. She adjourned the matter for sentencing until November 3rd, in order to prepare a probation report and a victim impact statement. She remanded Murphy on continuing bail.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Dublin's Temple Bar named as third-worst tourist trap in the world
It's where visitors end up battling crowds to order pints of Guinness for €10 (£8.65) – and now it's been named one of the biggest tourist traps in the world. Temple Bar in Dublin, renowned for its lively nightlife and traditional Irish pubs, has been given the dubious honour of ranking third in a round-up of global tourist traps. In research by Nomad eSim, reviews of the area were analysed to see how many times the negative term was used. The Irish icon saw 'tourist trap' mentioned a whopping 687 times. Complaints about Temple Bar range from how dirty it is to the sky-high prices, with one reviewer describing it as 'overcrowded, overpriced and overrated'. One user on Instagram wrote that they 'can't believe it only came third'. Dublin's nightlife hotspot was only beaten by Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and Las Ramblas in Barcelona, coming in first and second place respectively. The US attraction is located in the Californian city's northern waterfront, and attracts millions of visitors each year with souvenir shops, seafood restaurants, and sea lion sightings. But many are left underwhelmed. Comments brand the area 'dirty, run down and overcrowded', and point out it's 'only worth it to see the seals'. 1,000 reviews used the term 'tourist trap'. Spain's Las Ramblas, a promenade that runs for more than a kilometre through central Barcelona, is packed with shops, eateries, and attractions. While some travelers enjoy its energetic vibe, others find the experience chaotic and overwhelming. The area is often packed with crowds and is known for pickpocketing. Visitors find that it's 'one of the most overrated roads in the world', and some even go as far as to say that 'it should be on your DO NOT DO list'. However, someone cheekily wrote on social media: 'La Rambla isn't a tourist trap, it's there to keep the tourists away from the good places and for that I salute it.' It was listed as a tourist trap in 826 reviews. Checkpoint Charlie, the famous Cold War-era border crossing in Germany, and the historic and bustling Royal Mile in Edinburgh, round out the top five. One review of the Scottish capital expressed disappointment: 'Bring back the days when locals could live and work in the area without locusts like plagues of tourists!'. Europe's most popular cities are being overrun this summer, as record-breaking tourist numbers turn once-scenic streets into overcrowded, chaotic hotspots. Videos show locals and visitors alike struggling to navigate packed squares, endless queues, and overwhelming crowds across Greece and Italy - as selfie-hunting holidaymakers ignore mounting anti-tourism protests. In the Italian capital of Rome, tourists are crammed shoulder-to-shoulder as they try to take in the city's famous architecture, with one likening the experience to being 'part of one big sweaty herd.' Meanwhile, in Athens, known for its ancient ruins and historic streets, the crowds are so dense that visitors can barely squeeze past each other.
BreakingNews.ie
16-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Garda goes on trial accused of assaulting teenager four years ago
A garda has gone on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, accused of assaulting a teenager in Temple Bar in 2021. The complainant gave evidence that he suffered a fractured skull and spent five days in Beaumont Hospital following the alleged assault. Advertisement Lorcan Murphy (32) of Pearse Street Garda Station has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault causing harm under section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. The assaults on the then 17-year-old are alleged to have taken place on Essex Street, Dublin 2 and Pearse Street Garda Station on June 1st 2021. In his opening speech on Wednesday, John Gallagher BL, prosecuting, told the court the accused was a serving member of An Garda Síochána and an investigation was carried out by GSOC, which is now known as Fiosrú. Mr Gallagher said the assault is alleged to have happened during the Covid-19 period 'when one set of regimes runs into another', but that at this time, limited gatherings outdoors were permitted. Advertisement He said there was a short encounter where the alleged injured party was brought to the ground in an effort to restrain him, and a number of bystanders were present. There was a short engagement which lasted a minute or two at most when he was 'brought to the ground', Mr Gallagher said. Mr Gallagher said the complainant was 'brought to the ground with his knee', and he was 'completely, effectively restrained'. He was handcuffed and brought to his feet. Counsel said the alleged victim was handcuffed and could not put his hands out to protect himself. Advertisement Mr Gallagher said it was the prosecution's case that by sweeping his legs from under the alleged injured party and him landing him on his head, 'this amounted to assault'. Counsel said the alleged injured party was visibly unconscious when he was lifted into a Garda van and was taken to Pearse Street Garda Station for processing. Mr Gallagher said there was a second charge of assault at Pearse Street Garda Station, when the complainant was having 'difficulty staying conscious' and he was pulled back by the hair. He said that it was the prosecution's case that this 'manhandling' amounted to a second assault. He told the jury they would hear medical evidence. Mr Gallagher said there must be a legitimate use of force or reasonable force. He said 'it's not carte blanche' to use force, and he told the jury they would be asked to consider whether it was reasonable force. Advertisement He also told the jury they would have to hear an account by Gda Murphy and would have to consider if there was 'a basis for using it'. Mr Gallagher said gardaí 'have a very difficult job' but the same laws that apply to everyone else regarding the use of force also apply to the gardaí. He told the jury that defence counsel Justin McQuade BL wanted it 'clarified' that there had been an earlier engagement between the accused and the complainant. The complainant gave evidence that he could not recall the events and 'the doctor told me it was ok not to remember,' but said 'I was assaulted, I was tripped up supposedly, I fractured my skull,' he told the court. Advertisement He told the court he was 'drinking that day' and that he had had 'quite a few.' He said he had been 'smoking weed' and said he would normally smoke four or five joints a day. He also said that he 'could have been' carrying alcohol. He said he was up in Stephen's Green, and his girlfriend at the time was in Temple Bar, so he went to meet her and said the last thing he remembered was walking past McDonald's on Grafton Street. The alleged victim said 'waking up in James' Hospital' is the next thing he remembers. He told the court someone in the hospital told him he was involved in an incident with the gardaí. He said he ran out of the hospital. 'I freaked out, I thought there was nothing wrong with me,' he told the court. The complainant said he woke up with a pain in his head and went to the Mater Hospital, where he got a CT scan and then went to Beaumont Hospital, where he stayed for five days. He said he had headaches, but has no issues with his memory. 'You heard about this investigation because there was some publicity about it?' Mr Gallagher put it to him, to which he replied 'yeah'. The complainant said he spoke to GSOC and gave them two videos - one of him on the ground that someone else had recorded and one of the garda approaching him, which he had taken himself. When the complainant was asked by Mr Gallagher if he was ever charged with any offences in relation to events in Temple Bar on June 1st, 2021, he replied 'no'. CCTV was shown to the court of two gardaí on Essex Street, and Mr McQuade said his client was the one wearing shorts. CCTV captured from the exterior of Dolphin House on Essex Street and from Pearse Street Garda Station was shown to the court. The trial continues on Thursday before a jury of eight men and four women with Judge Pauline Codd presiding.
Irish Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
The real Temple Bar: Thriving cultural quarter or ‘a violent post-apocalyptic place'?
Ask any Dubliner where to go for pricey pints, tourist tat, and the type of 'traditional Irish' establishment they would never themselves frequent, and they'll happily give directions to Temple Bar . Ask them to point towards Dublin's cultural quarter, however, and they are likely to be a bit nonplussed. Temple Bar has, since its inception, been promoted as the city's cultural quarter, but most would agree it has strayed considerably from that vision. The origins of the present-day Temple Bar lie in a plan devised 50 years ago by CIÉ to develop a new central bus station for the city. From the mid-1970s the company began to buy up buildings, and the many derelict sites, in the area between Dame Street and the south Liffey quays with a view to levelling them for the new transport hub. Government funding was slow to follow the transport company's scheme, so with admirable fiscal rectitude CIÉ rented out the properties (those not in use as surface car parks at least) at low rents to Dublin's 'bohemian' set – artists, musicians and independent retailers – and in doing so sowed the seeds of the demise of its bus garage plans. READ MORE Taoiseach Charles Haughey saw an urban development opportunity, far beyond what had grown organically, and threw CIÉ under the bus, so to speak. He envisioned a district of 'attractive small places' with 'recording studios, places for the music industry, art galleries, studios' and also 'pubs, restaurants, discos – anything that contributes to a lively inner city young people's place'. An urban renewal act and a tax incentive scheme came into force in 1991, a development company – Temple Bar Properties – was established, and Temple Bar was born. People enjoying the pub scene in Temple Bar. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill It didn't take long before property prices began to rise, as they did across the city in the 1990s, and for the more lucrative enterprises – pubs, night clubs, hotels and restaurants, to start pushing out the artists and smaller independent operators. By end of the decade it had become a byword for hedonism, even targeted in 2001 by a Channel 4 documentary series of the type that focused on the bad behaviour of 'Brits abroad', though generally in sunnier climes. [ The rise and fall of the Temple Bar dream: 'I feared that our home would become uninhabitable' Opens in new window ] In part to counteract this image, the Noughties saw a definite shift in emphasis in the development of Temple Bar from growth to management, with Temple Bar Properties becoming the Temple Bar Cultural Trust in 2005. However, within a few years that entity had run into difficulties, with several reports and audits identifying financial, governance and regulatory weaknesses. In 2013 a decision was made to dissolve the trust and transfer its functions to Dublin City Council . People walk through Merchant's Arch in Temple Bar, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill In 2016 the council published a public realm plan to improve the area, which resulted in not very much for quite a long time, but eventually in 2023 led to a €5 million upgrade of Temple Bar Square, the focal point of the eastern end of Temple Bar. The year 2016 also saw a significant intervention in the fight against overtourism in the district, spearheaded not by the council but by Temple Bar residents who sought a ruling on whether or not planning permission was required to use an apartment for holiday rentals. The council planners determined it was required, a ruling upheld by An Bord Pleanála . This ultimately led to a city-wide and then State-wide crackdown on the unauthorised use of homes for short-term letting, and while that battle goes on, it would never have started without the intervention of those residents. People passing through Temple Bar in the afternoon. Photographs: Dara Mac Dónaill The council has in recent years upped its game in efforts to rein in the worst excesses of Temple Bar, using the planning process. The 2022-2028 city development plan includes a number of provisions to guard against the expansion of pubs and takeaways, and to avoid the concentration of the types of shops which would 'reinforce particular activities in the area to the detriment of the cultural, residential and social functions of the area'. A number of planning applications have been refused by the council since these provisions were introduced, though some of these decisions have been overturned on appeal to An Bord Pleanála. The council has, in the last two years, increased the number of artists' studios in Temple Bar and plans to refurbish the long-closed Eden restaurant in Meeting House Square to provide more. It is also in the process of taking ownership of the historic Smock Alley Theatre at the western end of Temple Bar to create a new Dublin municipal theatre. Visitors outside Project Arts Centre in Temple Bar. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Perhaps the council's most significant physical intervention in Temple Bar is its most recent: the removal of traffic from Parliament Street since July 4th, which is likely to attract more activity, from the eastern end of the district. Some in the quieter west end may have misgivings over what may be drawn upon them. The image of Temple Bar has been severely tarnished by several violent assaults – on tourists, as well as on two off-duty gardaí . The stark depiction by Judge Pauline Codd, at an assault sentencing hearing last year, said Temple Bar was becoming a ' a violent post-apocalyptic place'. 'It's shocking to see it, that people can't be safe down there. It makes it a no-go area for people.' The IFI in Temple Bar. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill People stroll through Cow's Lane in Temple Bar. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Martin Harte, chief executive of business group the Temple Bar Company, says dystopian assessments are not fair characterisations of the area. 'I think a lot of the criticism and the view or positioning of Temple Bar comes from the late 1990s and early Noughties and that massive, mad drink culture. It was true then, there were queues outside every pub and hotel; it certainly isn't true now,' Harte says. He argues that there is an overconcentration of addiction and homeless services throughout the city centre. However, he believes the district is moving closer to the original vision of a cultural, entertainment area, but also a residential quarter. 'Certainly in last couple of years the vintage clothes shops are back, the tattoo parlours, the cafes, the cultural collectives, the private galleries – they've really come back. Of course some have been lost, but a huge amount have come, and Temple Bar has a thriving cultural scene. I think it's probably going to get closer to what people thought it might be in the first place. I think its best years are ahead of it,' Harte says.
