THIS WAS A COMMUNITY ART GALLERY BUT IT IS NOW A HOMELESS SHELTER
Yesterday [18 January 2024] A controlled explosion was carried out at the scene where a man died in a blast at the homeless hostel on Little Britain Street.
When I first photographed this building, many years ago, it was a community art gallery. I am not sure when but it became a DePaul hostel and it has had some problems over the years. A man was arrested in march 2022 and charged with arson having started a fire which injured six people leaving a 22-year-old woman with catastrophic injuries. The man was jailed for 9½ years.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but authorities are not thought to suspect foul play.
The explosion was confined to a single room in the hostel, which is said to have room for about 50 men and women.
Issue Date: 18th January 2024
Gardaí at the Bridewell are actively investigating the cause of an explosion at a property on Little Britain Street, Dublin 7, on Thursday, 18th January 2024.
Gardaí and emergency services responded to an incident at a residential premises on Little Britain Street shortly after 3:00 pm, following reports of an explosion inside the property. An adult male aged in his 30s sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The explosion was confined to one room within the property, and no one else was injured.
Residents at the premises were evacuated, and a cordon, along with local traffic diversions, remain in place.
The precise cause of the explosion is currently under investigation, and the Garda Technical Bureau have commenced a forensic and technical examination with assistance from Army EOD.
The Coroner has been notified, and a post-mortem examination is due to be carried out by the State Pathologist at Dublin City Morgue tomorrow.
Anyone with information that can assist investigating Gardaí is asked to contact the Bridewell Garda Station on 01 6668200 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
The investigation is ongoing.
Depaul was born out of the Passage Day Centre in Victoria, London. It started as a Vincentian partnership between the Daughters of Charity, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Passage Day Centre itself, as a response to the growing number of young people on the streets of London in the late 1980s. Founded by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Ireland [ROI] in 2002 and in Northern Ireland in 2005, Depaul is a separate charity helping people most in need.
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