Gardaí have arrested a man following a fire at an Islamic prayer centre in Dublin on Monday which they believe was the result of an arson attack.
Parts of Dublin’s north inner city were closed to traffic after the fire broke out at a building on Talbot Street, resulting in traffic diversions and the suspension of Luas services in the area.
Gardaí arrived on the scene and attempted to use fire extinguishers to tackle the fire as a large plume of smoke could be seen coming from the building. They had received no reports of injuries.
A criminal investigation was opened into the incident and gardaí are gathering CCTV footage from the area. They are keeping an open mind as to the cause but have not linked the fire to far right or racist motives.
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On Monday night, they said they had arrested a man in his 40s who was being detained at a Garda station in the north city area under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. They appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
Earlier they had said they were investigating an “incident of criminal damage by fire” at the Talbot Street premises.
Several units of Dublin Fire Brigade arrived just before 4pm and went about bringing the fire under control.
The area was closed from Gardener Street to Marlborough Street with gardaí stationed at either end.
Dublin Fire Brigade said it had been alerted to the blaze, by calls from members of the public, at about 3.40pm. . Four fire engines carrying over 20 emergency responders arrived at the scene. ESB Networks also responded to the incident.
“Smoke was reported to be issuing from the building and a full evacuation of the premises took place. Firefighting operations are ongoing,” it added.
While green line Luas services were suspended for a time, they resumed once the blaze was brought under control.
The scene was sealed off and due to undergo a technical examination to determine the cause of the fire. It was in a building that houses the Al-Madinah prayer hall, an Islamic prayer centre and gathering place.
