Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Fire extinguished at old motor tax office in Dublin but fears for squatters

Six units of Dublin Fire Brigade were in attendance at the blaze.

IMG_3681 Ben Blake / TheJournal.ie Ben Blake / TheJournal.ie / TheJournal.ie

A MASSIVE FIRE has been brought under control at Dublin’s old motor tax office, but there are reports that squatters may have been in the derelict building.

The fire broke out earlier this morning at River House on Chancery Street in the Smithfield area.

It was brought under control by six Dublin Fire Brigade engines, a turntable ladder, the Incident Command Unit, an emergency tender and three senior fire officers.

IMG_3682

While the fire is now out, the building is smokelogged and fire fighters are searching the building as there are reports that squatters had been living in the offices, which have been empty for the past three years. 

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
25 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute fergalreid
    Favourite fergalreid
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 9:53 AM

    The area between Capel St and Smithfield hasn’t seen a lick of investment or redevelopment since the Four Courts was built, more than 200 years ago. I don’t think much of the plans to create a “legal quarter” (especially not with Ireland’s biggest firms doing this all by themselves down the docks) but anything would be good right now. It’s been more than a decade since the redevelopment of the fruit market was first put forward. Derelict buildings and warehouses are a complete waste of the biggest grey area on the northside that isn’t Dublin 1.

    227
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Winston Teardrops
    Favourite Winston Teardrops
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 12:21 PM

    Totally bewildering. When silly money was being paid a few years back for properties in the ‘right’ areas of Dublin’s centre, this city centre area was left rot. You’d think the natural market dynamic would be for the big money to just move across to such places and redevelop. But no, they insisted on outbidding the other fat cat in Ballsbridge etc. Never understood that beyond simple snobbery. What am I missing?

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute fergalreid
    Favourite fergalreid
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 1:02 PM

    The warehouses, of which there are many, would have to be CPO’d en masse because no-one in their right mind is going to be clamouring to move in next door to one. It’s also a surprisingly isolated part of the city centre. It’s been a pipedream of mine for years now to knock a proper pedestrian street through Mary’s Lane and keep ploughing onwards until a direct line of sight route is established between O’Connell St and Smithfield down the main shopping axis of the northside.

    It’s truthfully a much more difficult redevelopment jobs than Smithfield ever was. And look how shoddily we redeveoped Smithfield.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute HARRY MARKOPOLOS
    Favourite HARRY MARKOPOLOS
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 10:29 AM

    Who owns this deathtrap?
    This condemned eyesore?
    Feckless, well heeled, absentee landlords NAMA/banks land hoarding derelict, infested death traps in our city centres as local businesses pick up the tab for them.
    Central Dublin has 100s/1000s of similar sites.
    Literally Millions of decaying sq ft.
    Tax the s**t out of these freeloaders!
    CPO these squats for €nil and auction them off!
    If “unsellable” or “unviable” then knock them and turn them into parks and green areas for us all to use.

    Accommodation crisis my arse!!
    Turn these into city centre dwellings before giving handfuls of money to NAMA’s finest to build anymore overpriced suburban shoeboxes with bad transport links.

    106
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe
    Favourite Joe
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 10:36 AM

    The only way to get private investors to invest is tax incentives. Then some people here will complain about them get tax breaks. Lose lose.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute HARRY MARKOPOLOS
    Favourite HARRY MARKOPOLOS
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 11:53 AM

    A good tax incentive ,would be to tax the crap out of the current feckless irresponsible owners.
    In parts of the UK they have doubled the council tax rate on vacant properties.
    Get them occupied or get rid of them.
    And feck the complainers.

    31
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Peter M Buchanan
    Favourite Peter M Buchanan
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 1:10 PM

    Dublin City council owns the building… We, the people ha

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Larry Fitzwell
    Favourite Larry Fitzwell
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 10:23 PM

    Harry, you are fast becoming one of the most fcuking annoying people on the Internet. Could you not whinge elsewhere, just so we don’t all fall into a depression.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shane Walsh
    Favourite Shane Walsh
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 9:51 AM

    Got a glimpse of it passing by on the Luas, hopefully there was nobody injured.

    92
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cóilín Ó Tuairisc
    Favourite Cóilín Ó Tuairisc
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 9:50 AM

    Glad to see it was better used now, compared to 3 years ago. Hopefully no one was in the building at the time of the fire!

    80
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Matthews
    Favourite Paul Matthews
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 10:42 AM

    Love the way those that may be inside are described as squatters. Homeless more like. And as its a government building why could our wonderful government who claim they want to sort the homeless problem not open the building up and man it properly for the homeless to sleep in. Hope everyone got out ok.

    74
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kizzi Yeates
    Favourite Kizzi Yeates
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 11:14 AM

    Another landmark of Dublin , a truly ugly building should be demolished :)

    71
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kizzi Yeates
    Favourite Kizzi Yeates
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 11:48 AM

    And Liberty hall ? Why is that still standing ….:)

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kizzi Yeates
    Favourite Kizzi Yeates
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 1:15 PM

    A small child with crayons would design a more appealing building while half asleep :)

    21
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Kavanagh
    Favourite Mary Kavanagh
    Report
    Oct 30th 2014, 6:49 PM

    I must admit I have a soft spot for Liberty Hall. It should be kept and used as a tourist attraction(?) for how not to build a tall building! I even have a liking for that that “frill” at the top. There, I’ve said it! Bring on the red thumbs!

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Howard Keogh
    Favourite Howard Keogh
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 10:18 AM

    That’s the fourth fire in that area in two weeks

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ian Frawls
    Favourite Ian Frawls
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 10:44 AM

    These buildings should be used as public social space or creative spaces like Mabos temporarily instead of lying idle.

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Wayne Scales
    Favourite Wayne Scales
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 12:09 PM

    Shocking waste of a decent piece of space,could easily be turned into something useful for the local community including the homeless.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ian Frawls
    Favourite Ian Frawls
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 10:47 AM

    Where did my comment go? Use these buildings for creative spaces like MABOS.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Darrell Hayden
    Favourite Darrell Hayden
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 11:14 PM

    Well done to the firefighters, the journal never mentioned them in the article!

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Varley
    Favourite Sean Varley
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 12:29 PM

    someone must own the building where is security

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute shawn davis
    Favourite shawn davis
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 11:57 AM

    Normally people ran a mile from the tax office.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Howard Keogh
    Favourite Howard Keogh
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 7:13 PM

    I see 10 people gave a thumbs down for a comment I made on this thread ….what does that mean ..did it not happen or they don’t like I’m telling the truth

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tal Ha
    Favourite Tal Ha
    Report
    Oct 28th 2014, 1:33 PM

    We are providing a platform for those who want to join this profession.
    writing jobs
    jobs

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.