Dublin attack and riots: how Thursday unfolded

Late morning: A man in his 40s or 50s is seen “hanging around” in Rutland Place, a laneway behind Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire, a primary school on Parnell Square East.

1.30pm: School day ends for naíonáin shóisearacha (junior infants) and naíonáin shinsearacha (senior infants). Children are brought out on the pavement to be collected by parents. The man seen earlier approaches and begins attacking the children with a large knife. Their teacher intervenes and is stabbed. The area is busy with hundreds of people passing between O’Connell Street and Dorset Street, at bus stops and coming and going from schools, hotels, the Rotunda hospital and the Gate theatre, many of whom run towards the attack. Passing by on a moped is Caoi Benício, a Deliveroo driver originally from Brazil. He stops and, using his helmet as a weapon, hits the man and takes the knife, tossing it across the road to an area under trees by the Rotunda. Crowds pull the man to the ground and start kicking him “like a football” according to witnesses.

1.40pm: Standing at the Rotunda are several participants in the Stardust inquests which have been under way in the Pillar Room since April. Two, including Clare O’Connor, whose mother was due to give evidence in the afternoon, and Siobhán Kearney, whose brother Liam Dunne (18) died in the fire, run across to the commotion. Ms Kearney and another woman intervene in the attack on the perpetrator, forming a “cordon” around him as he lies on the pavement, blood coming from his mouth – to protect him “so the garda could deal with him in due course”. Ms O’Connor runs to where people are crowding around the children who have been attacked. “Someone passed me a little girl, she was hysterical… I passed her into the school. They said a girl had been stabbed,” she says.

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1.50pm: Journalists covering the inquests are alerted and go to the scene. Already four or five ambulances, five Dublin Fire Brigade appliances manned by paramedics and several Garda cars are there. Hundreds of people are standing watching in horror or looking on from windows above. Wailing sirens indicate more emergency services are en route.

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1.55pm: Attacker is lying on pavement outside Delfin English language school, blood around his mouth, with paramedics tending to him. Further up towards North Frederick Street, a little girl is lying as paramedics perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A small pink backpack is on the ground beside them. Her pink/purple shoes are visible as she is lifted to a stretcher and into an ambulance. Behind, on the steps, a young woman is crouched and leaning into the doorway, clearing injured and distressed. She is lifted to a stretcher and into an ambulance. A boy (5) and a girl (6) have also been taken to hospital. Gardaí begin clearing this side of Parnell Square, shouting at people to stop photographing and videoing.

“Crime scene” tape is placed cordoning off the area.

2.30pm: People start gathering at the end of Parnell Square East. Rumours are swirling through social media that the perpetrator of the attacks is a foreign national.

4.33pm: Some people start blocking the junction at the top of O’Connell Street, forcing a Luas tram to reverse.

5.50pm: The growing group of people that had gathered near Parnell Street begin to confront gardaí. As the situation escalates, several vehicles are damaged, with a Garda car set on fire, as the demonstration turns into a riot.

7.30pm: Rioters clash with gardaí on Cathal Brugha Street, launching fireworks, bottles and other projectiles at officers. Several individuals in this group start smashing the windows of a Holiday Inn hotel on O’Connell Street.

7.35pm: The group of rioters set a Luas tram and a double-decker bus alight. As the riot rolls further up O’Connell Street, a number of other shops, such as Footlocker and Arnotts, are broken into and looted. Gardaí mobilise large numbers of public order units to try and disperse the crowd of at least several hundred rioters.

8:05pm: Gardaí with riot shields continue making their way up O’Connell Street and reach The Spire, pushing the crowds backwards.

[ ‘There is no failure here’: Drew Harris defends Garda response to Dublin rioting ]

[ The air was thick with smoke and a double-decker bus was on fire - how gardaí struggled to contain the Dublin riots ]

8.10pm: One flashpoint sees a group of rioters at the junction of Lower Abbey Street throw a stream of glass bottles at a line of gardaí, before the officers charge forward and the crowd retreat down the street.

8.17pm: Gardaí move down Henry Street to prevent further looting of shops, as well as down Aston Quay and Westmoreland Street, pushing rioters off O’Connell Street, in an effort to break up the crowds.

8.32pm: Looters break into a Gala store on Lower Abbey Street and a nearby Sports Direct on Marlborough Street. A row of young men and teenagers duck into the Gala corner shop, emerging with alcohol and other items.

8.56pm: On the Rosie Hackett bridge crowds continue to linger, some standing at the wall along the quay smoking cigarettes, others carrying cans of pink gin. The numbers start to taper off, as gardaí maintain a cordon around O’Connell Street and surrounding areas.

11pm: Dublin city centre is mostly quiet, with gardaí maintaining a presence in the area.