Dublin's Portobello Plaza closed for weekend due to overcrowding fears

Garda Public Order Unit pictured at Portobello Dublin earlier this month.

One of Dublin city centre’s favourite post-work outdoor gathering points is to shut this weekend due to the overwhelming congregations on recent weekends.

Portobello Plaza, located off Portobello Bridge on the Grand Canal near Rathmines, will stay shut from early Friday afternoon until Monday morning.

A meeting of Dublin City Council on Thursday did not achieve consensus on the issue and no vote was taken. It’s understood the decision itself was taken by the council in consultation with the gardaí.

Dublin City Council said the decision had been made because “some behaviour at this location in recent weeks has been completely unacceptable”.

In a statement, the authority asked people not to come to the plaza on Friday, and said the decision to close had been made following consultation with local residents and their representatives and the gardaí.

"Up to 1,000 people have congregated in the area on recent weekends, without due regard for Covid-19 restrictions," a spokesperson said.

The associated antisocial behaviour is having a hugely detrimental effect on both the local community and the environment.

Local Green councillor Claire Byrne said she is “not overly supportive” of the solution, and had raised concerns about it at the meeting.

“I have massive empathy for the residents — they’re having people banging on doors, urinating, someone defecated on a doorstep, and people are afraid in their own homes for the first time after last weekend,” she said.

Public toilets 'more effective'

She said however that the provision of public toilets would be a more effective move.

Ms Byrne said the decision appeared to be favoured by the gardaí as a “circuit breaker” in order to break the trend of recent weekends.

“Portobello seems to have become the space of the late-night session,” she said.

“But there are other ways to address that.”

The situation will be reviewed next week, while “increased enforcement” of Covid restrictions in the area will be in place this weekend, the council added.

Anyone found consuming alcohol outdoors in a public space may be fined.

Last month, the council launched a social media campaign aimed at curbing outdoor drinking in the Portobello area after numerous complaints from residents over antisocial behaviour.

“We want this to be a place where people feel comfortable coming to and enjoy but we also want it to be somewhere that is respected and honoured because it a beautiful part of Dublin,” one local resident said at the time.