Updated: 12.35pm
DUBLIN FIRE BRIGADE says it’s “extremely lucky” no one was seriously injured after the roof of an archway at Temple Bar partially collapsed last night.
Two people received minor injuries after timber and plasterboard from the roof of Merchant’s Arch collapsed around 7.30pm yesterday.
One woman was seen lying on the ground after the incident, while a man was seen limping from the scene with an apparent head wound. They were taken to hospital but were not seriously injured.
The busy walkway – which is just opposite the Ha’penny Bridge and leads to the popular tourist destination of Temple Bar – remained boarded up this morning as an investigation into the collapse got underway.
“It’s extremely lucky that there were no major or serious injuries,” a Dublin Fire Brigade spokesman told TheJournal.ie.
The spokesman said the collapse appeared to be caused by plasterboard that was underneath the arch coming down.
He said the Dangerous Buildings section of Dublin City Council was called in and it is now being investigated by engineers from that department. Dangerous Buildings is a section within Dublin City Council which is concerned with buildings, structures or sites deemed a danger to the public.
Dublin City Council said the Dangerous Buildings inspector attended the scene last night. It said the incident involved the collapse of “a timber and plasterboard soffit construction” in the arch.
“The collapsed structure has been now been cleared and the pedestrian walkway sealed off, in the interest of public safety,” it said in a statement.
Dangerous Buildings will now set about establishing ownership of the building that contains the passageway and will engage with the owners as per normal Dangerous Buildings protocols to ensure that remedial work is carried out to make the building safe and that any potential danger to the public is removed.
Merchant’s Arch laneway houses several shops and is a busy thoroughfare, particularly popular with buskers and tourists.
It runs alongside Merchant’s Hall, which was built in 1821 as a meeting place for the Guild of Merchants.
Additional reporting: Christina Finn
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