Protestors clear Luas path for O'Connell St

[Kevin K Kelehan]

http://www.archiseek.com/content/showthread.php?t=2087&page=84

[Kevin K Kelehan]

Does anyone know how much damage was done to Pearse Station by rioting republicans?

[Mark Gleeson]

Pearse station is still open can see no damage, train services are still operating I can see loads of people on the platform

O'Connell Bridge to Nassau Street looks undamaged

Luas services are still suspended between Smithfield and Connolly

[Kevin K Kelehan]

I believe there was a near stampede to get off Grafton St when a Celtic jersy was seen on the street for the first time in a deacde :D Which would explain the exodus to the DART and the safety of Kilbarrick

[sean]

I was there, at the height of it, and yes, it was total madness I almost got caught up in it, at about 2:30 PM

I was coming in from the 39 bus, which was supposed to go to Hawkins St. but the bus driver cancelled the service on the quays about 200M West of O'Connell bridge. Not knowing what was going on, and intending to continue my journey, I headed for O'Connell St. Then I saw the crowds getting very very very thick. At O'Connell St, it was wall to wall people across the street. There were some young lads on that monument there getting a good look-in and about 100-200 people on O'Connell St. itself. And every 10th person had a videophone, camera or suchlike device in use to capture the mayhem on record. So I (stupidly) went onto O'Connell St. and through the crowds saw riot police and lots of smoke further up. I would have though "Oh ShÃ*t" but there wasn't time - either the rioters or the guards charged at the crowd at the bottom of the street and everyone, myself included, ran like hell back to the quays at speed.

At this point it was still possible to cross the road in safety but that would have been at the bottom of the bridge, so I had to detour around by the closest pedestrian bridge and Temple Bar, where, oddly enough, someone abandoned a suitcase. I then got to Tara St. station and got on the next Maynooth train to get the hell out of there, I got away it seems before the real bedlam started on the Southside in Trinity and that area. Fortunately for me Connolly was not affected at all.