Updated at 3.45pm

The man on top of the Ulster Bank building this morning.

AN INCIDENT ON Dublin’s Dame Street in which a man spent over four hours perched dangerously on top of a six-storey building has ended when he was taken away safely.

A large-scale emergency services response shut down one of the city’s main thoroughfares from about 10.45am this morning until 3.15 pm this afternoon.

At least two garda negotiators spent over two and a half hours on a nearby roof talking to the man before convincing him to return to safety.

Eyewitnesses say the man was then returned to safety by gardaí who led him down nearby Church Lane to Dame Street as people continued to look above.

He was then taken away by gardaí.

The initial response began as the man was spotted atop the building that contains the Abercrombie & Fitch store on Dame Street.

He then moved to the even taller Ulster Bank building next door where he began to talk to gardaí, sometimes sitting down to do so.

The man, who appeared to be his late 20s to early 30s, was stripped to the waist for the first 90 minutes of the incident but later put on a t-shirt and hoody.

Crowds of up to 300 people at a time continued to look at the man from the street below throughout the afternoon.

Gardaí sealed off both sides of Dame Street between Starbucks and the Tourist Office.

Four fire brigades were at the scene and were moved in place to restrict public access and view.

The incident began at around 10.45am with the man repeatedly climbing back and forth between the peak of the building and a the roof just behind it.

[Google Maps]

Numerous times the man was seen leaning against and rattling the flag pole behind him as well as freely moving around on the edge of the building.

Earlier, at the Abercrombie building.

People watched the developing scene from the gates of Trinity College, and from near the junction of Dame Street and Parliament Street.

Four fire units, an ambulance and gardaí were present during the incident

Around eight members of Dublin Fire Brigade stayed in place close to the front of the building.
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Traffic

The incident cause major diversions during the afternoon with no access to Dame Street or around College Green.

Restrictions have now been lifted and traffic is moving as normal.