As the shutters of Capel Street’s shops start to rise on Wednesday morning, there is a noticeable Garda presence. Gardaí patrol the street where a fellow officer suffered multiple stab wounds the evening before. A police van is parked halfway up the street.
Some passersby stop and point at the spot where the struggle ensued between a man armed with a knife and two gardaí – a moment now widely circulated on social media.
Capel Street business owners have expressed safety concerns and a perception of a “deterioration” in the area, after the attack.
Paul Fitzpatrick, the manager on duty at Lenehans hardware store on Wednesday morning, says customers have told him “they’re afraid to come in because of the undesirable element on the street”.
RM Block
“When Capel Street is at its best it’s absolutely buzzing; it’s a great area,” says Fitzpatrick. “It’s like Temple Bar on the north side and if they can just control that it’d be a much better experience for everyone.
“The council has provided a lovely street and it’s being ruined by the drug addicts and the drunks who are here from early in the morning,” he adds.
“That’s the only problem with the street ... fights start at lunchtime and they just keep going.”
[ Garda stabbed multiple times in ‘unprovoked’ Dublin city-centre attackOpens in new window ]
Louis Copeland, the tailor and retailer, who is in his shop on Capel Street, says, however, “security has improved” in recent months.
“I think since Jim O’Callaghan, the new Minister for Justice, has come in, I don’t know whether he instigated, but certainly there’s a better presence of Garda on the street,” says Copeland.
He believes the incident on Tuesday is “an isolated case and Capel Street is safe”.
“It’s a coincidence that the new Garda Commissioner was announced yesterday. Hopefully it might put more of a presence in the street,” he adds.
Dublin City Council pedestrianised Capel Street in May 2022, creating a traffic-free stretch with new outdoor seating put in place.
In the same year, the street was named by Time Out magazine as one of the coolest in the world, outranking the likes of Temple Bar and Grafton Street. Then came the Dublin riots.
Cliff Nolan was one of the business owners affected by the night of public disorder in November 2023, when his bike shop on Capel Street was targeted by looters.
In a matter of minutes, Bike Stop was turned inside out with more than 10 expensive bikes stolen and other stock left badly damaged.
Nolan believes the riots marked a shift in Dublin city centre.
“I think over the last few years the city does feel a little bit more ... not as safe as I felt before.
“Around when the riots happened, I think there was a shift. Or maybe it was post pandemic.”
He said the stabbing on Tuesday evening was “a shock to everyone” and “could have been anywhere in the city”.
He has observed an uptick in antisocial behaviour on Capel Street, “particularly since they [Dublin City Council] made it traffic free and put benches down”. Nolan says “gardaí doing regular patrols throughout the day” has helped.
The garda stabbed on Tuesday evening had been conducting a routine patrol in the city when he and his colleague responded to reports of a man armed with a large blade.
Another Capel Street business owner, who did not want to be named, said she was in her shop when the incident occurred just a few metres away.
“Capel Street has got such a bad name lately,” said the retailer, who fears her business “definitely won’t last” under the circumstances.
“I’m here 15 years and I’ve seen the deterioration in the area.
“There’s a lot of this nonsense happening lately. A lot of people standing around the street drinking, and since they pedestrianised the street it has just got worse.”
The business owner is one of a number on the street who have opted to lock their doors during trading hours and put a bell system in place. She worries this heightened security further deters customers who may already be hesitant to approach.
“I feel in danger, to be honest,” she says. “I can’t have my front door open to welcome people in. It’s a deterrent when a customer walks up to the door and it’s locked and they have to ring a bell.”
