Father of four accused of causing €2m worth of damage in arson attack on former pub

Accused was arrested on Thursday morning and charged in court with setting fire to Shipwright Pub in Ringsend, Dublin, on New Year's Eve 

The old Shipwright Pub on Thorncastle Street in Ringsend went on fire in the early hours of New Year’s Eve amid rumours it would be repurposed and used to house immigrants. File Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

A crane driver charged with arson of a former pub earmarked for homeless accommodation in Dublin 4 is accused of causing more than €2m worth of fire damage, a court heard.

The old Shipwright Pub on Thorncastle Street in Ringsend went on fire in the early hours of New Year’s Eve amid rumours it would be repurposed and used to house immigrants.