Crane threat keeps residents out of homes

RESIDENTS of Dublin’s Ringsend district who were evacuated from their homes on Sunday when part of a giant construction crane collapsed have spent a second night away from their homes.

"I don't know where the day starts or ends," said Patrick O'Mahony, looking towards his Barrow Street home from the second floor of the Mespil Hotel last night.

Health and safety officials took the decision at short notice to move Patrick and his wife Marie, as well as elderly people and young families more than 60 people from Ringsend, amid fears the 200 ft crane might come crashing down.

"I only had time to grab my purse and a few things," said Marie.

In yesterday's windy conditions, the front jib of the crane dangled at the former gasometer site, the damaged part swaying towards buildings. The huge building project is being undertaken by Danninger Ltd, a sister company of the Liam Carroll-owned Zoe Developments Ltd.

A spokesperson for the development company said they hoped to be able to take the crane down today.

A team of inspectors from the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) are keeping a close watch on the situation. "The initial focus is on making the crane safe," a spokesperson said.

Crane experts from Britain and Germany, who arrived at the site yesterday, were debating how to deal with the problem.

Gardaí from Irishtown station remained on duty at both ends of Barrow Street, which has been sealed off to vehicles since shortly after the emergency began.

Up to a dozen cranes both on the Danninger site and other nearby construction works were at rest yesterday, as HSA officials carried out general safety checks.

Tens of thousands of commuters face a second day of disrupted DART rail services because of the damaged crane, which is close to the railway line. Due to major upgrading works, there is no weekend commuter service on the DART line.

"The crane is unstable, and could threaten the line south of Grand Canal Dock Station if a collapse occurred," said Iarnród Éireann, as company engineers remained on the site to assess the situation.

Dublin Bus laid on a shuttle service to ferry passengers the three miles between Lansdowne Road and the city centre.

"The suspension of services will be lifted as soon as our engineers are satisfied that trains can safely operate through the area," a rail spokesperson said.