Residents’ protests block lorries from two Dublin building sites

Locals claim trucks arrive in relay from 7am at sites of new apartments and hotels

Protesters gather outside the gates of a  John Paul Construction building site on Townsend Street in Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
Protesters gather outside the gates of a John Paul Construction building site on Townsend Street in Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times

Lorries and cement mixers were prevented from entering and leaving two large construction sites in Dublin’s south inner city this morning by residents protesting over the volume of construction traffic.

From 6am on Tuesday, residents of the south inner city blocked entrances to the former Europcar car premises on Mark Street which is being redeveloped as an apartment and hotel complex.

Local residents Samantha Johnston with  son Jayden (1), Osman Kianizadeh, Eileen McDonnell and Michelle Corrigan with her son Kian (8 months), protesting outside a Townsend Street John Paul building site in Dublin on Tuesday. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
Local residents Samantha Johnston with son Jayden (1), Osman Kianizadeh, Eileen McDonnell and Michelle Corrigan with her son Kian (8 months), protesting outside a Townsend Street John Paul building site in Dublin on Tuesday. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times

A second group of residents blocked the entrance to the site of another hotel and apartment complex at the former Advance Pitstop/Ned’s Bar site on Townsend Street and Moss Street.

Building workers  and protesters outside  the Sisk building site on Mark Street in Dublin on Tuesday morning. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
Building workers and protesters outside the Sisk building site on Mark Street in Dublin on Tuesday morning. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times

These developments are being undertaken by subsidiaries of Tetrarch Capital. The sites remained closed at 3pm on Tuesday.

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Protesters said they would continue to block vehicle access to the sites until agreement was reached with them on a safety plan for traffic movements in the area.

A lorry  waits on  Mark Street  on Tuesday morning as residents block access to a building site as part of a row over traffic levels. Photograph: Tim O’Brien
A lorry waits on Mark Street on Tuesday morning as residents block access to a building site as part of a row over traffic levels. Photograph: Tim O’Brien

One of the protesters, Michael Caulfield, who was outside the Mark Street site on Tuesday morning, said locals had to put up with lorries double parked and queuing throughout the day as a relay of lorries took soil out and cement lorries queued to get in.

Residents said they had complained to Kilsaran Concrete about local traffic being blocked on Mark Street and construction lorries queuing on Pearse Street for access to the site.

Lorries wait on Mark Street on Tuesday  morning as residents block access to a building site as part of a row over traffic levels. Photograph: Tim O’Brien
Lorries wait on Mark Street on Tuesday morning as residents block access to a building site as part of a row over traffic levels. Photograph: Tim O’Brien

The closure of the sites on Tuesday saw a number of other lorries waiting on Mark Street outside the site.

Toddlers in buggies

Mr Caulfield said children walked to school in the area and residents were trying to go about their business, many with toddlers in buggies, and they did not feel safe.

He said a large area of the south inner city between Pearse Street and the river was affected because of the scale of the construction works and the number of vehicles entering and exiting the sites.

An overhead view of the Sisk building site on Mark Street in Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times
An overhead view of the Sisk building site on Mark Street in Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times

Mr Caulfield said lorries serving the sites started arriving from about 7am, creating a noise nuisance throughout the day to add to what he claimed was a safety issue.

Workers at the entrance to the Mark Street site confirmed they were employed by Sisk, the Dublin-based contracting firm. A representative of Sisk has been contacted for comment.

Workers at the entrance to the Townsend Street / Moss Street site said the construction company involved was John Paul Construction and the site was listed as a project on the company’s website.

A spokeswoman said the issue was one for the company’s marketing department, where a response was not immediately available.

Residents protest on Tuesday at the Mark Street entrance to a building site in Dublin where an apartment and hotel complex are being developed. Photograph: Tim O’Brien
Residents protest on Tuesday at the Mark Street entrance to a building site in Dublin where an apartment and hotel complex are being developed. Photograph: Tim O’Brien
Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist