‘People are afraid to come down the street’: Talbot Street businesses unsurprised at tourist attack

Business owners in Dublin’s north inner city have spoken of Talbot Street’s chronic antisocial behaviour issues and a plight of under-resourced policing following an assault that has left an American tourist in hospital with “life changing” injuries.

A regular visitor to Ireland, the tourist was staying at the Celt lodge house where he had spent some time socialising on Wednesday.

Anthony Moore, a bartender at the Celt, said he knew the victim from his previous trips to the country, describing him as “a gentleman, a really nice guy”.

Jim Brennan, owner of Tara Leathers on Talbot Street, pointed to a lack of Garda resources when asked about the recent attack.

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“The gardaí do not have the budget,” he said, standing outside his narrow shopfront on Wednesday evening. “People are afraid to come down the street.”

A number of business owners who spoke to The Irish Times mention previous instances of violence on the street, and subsequent inaction from authorities. Last month, outside the Abbey Theatre, a Ukrainian actor suffered serious facial wounds after he was assaulted, bitten and glassed by a group of people.

[ Dublin tourist attack: Restore measures to tackle antisocial behaviour, says business group ]

[ Dublin attack: McEntee vows response to ‘thuggery’ after tourist’s life-changing injuries ]

“We need three times the guards, five times the patrols,” Mr Brennan said. He questioned whether there was a political will to address long-running issues on the inner city street.

Some local children in the area seem “disenfranchised”, Mr Brennan added. “The people in this area ... they seem to be lost.”

Shane Murray, of World-Link Print at the intersection of Talbot and Gardiner St, said that, in 30 years of business, the level of antisocial activity in the area is “the worst it’s been”.

“You walk from here to O’Connell Bridge and you won’t see a guard once,” Mr Murray said, standing at the entrance to the print shop on Wednesday evening.

Another Talbot Street business owner, who requested to remain anonymous, said he “knew something bad would happen” given the systemic inaction to tackle social issues prevalent on the street.

Looking down the street towards the scene of the attack, the business owner also bemoaned the lack of a visible Garda presence in the area. “There’s never any patrols on the street ... it’s a disgrace.”