Gardaí investigating second fire in Dublin playground in six months
Sarah Slater
Six months after a Dublin city centre playground was repaired at a cost of €400,000 it has been severely damaged by a second fire caused by vandals.
Gardaí are investigating a significant fire which broke out at Diamond Park Playground on Sean McDermott Street at around 3.30pm.
The refurbished playground and park were opened to great fanfare by former Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe in 2023.
The first fire occurred in early November last year and damaged parts of the park’s perimeter fencing, prompting Parks Services to declare the playground unsafe.
A former Lord Mayor of Dublin and north inner city Independent councillor Christy Burke condemned the “unexceptional behaviour by a small group of people.
“The taxpayer has already paid nearly €400, 000 due to last year's fire and now the taxpayer again will be expected to pay for any repairs. Gardaí really need to investigate this outrageous behaviour,” Burke added.
In a statement gardaí said they received a report of a fire at Diamond Park, Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1.
“The fire was extinguished by Dublin Fire Brigade and investigations are ongoing.”
Following last year’s incident, the council deemed it necessary to close the park to undertake a thorough assessment of the damage and to ensure the site’s safety for public access.
The report added that in addition to the damage sustained to the playground, several fencing panels were found to be irreparably damaged. For health and safety reasons, these panels have been removed.
“Regrettably, the playground will remain closed in its entirety until repair works can be scheduled and completed,” said Deirdre Prince, senior executive parks officer in the report.
This is the third time vandalism has caused significant damage to the playground and the park, which has resulted in the closure of the amenity space in the area since its opening just over two years ago.
Prince continued: “In addition to the recent acts of vandalism, there have been several incidents of anti-social behaviour against security personnel who were obstructed from performing their duties in Diamond Park.”
The current site includes a sprawling grass area, a football pitch, a playground, basketball and table tennis facilities.
The redevelopment was part of a wider effort by Dublin City Council to improve parks close to social housing complexes and student accommodation.
