Harbour Court closure divides opinion

The most recent meeting of Dublin City Council saw a vote to close off Harbour Court over concerns about anti-social behaviour.

The laneway, which connects Marlborough Street and Lower Abbey Street, was ordered to close by the Council as they stated that it was being used as a place to consume drugs and carry out anti-social behaviour.

First floated in August 2023, the vote was greeted with a mixed reaction from Councillors.

Independent Councillor for Cabra-Glasnevin Cieran Perry told The Journal that he was “reluctant” to close the laneway, as he felt “we simply cannot police or enforce laneways.”

“Until we’re in a position until we can, I feel like I’ve no choice but to support the closure of such laneways,” he told the outlet.

Green Party Councillor for Dublin North Inner City Janet Horner told RTÉ that the decision is”incredibly disappointing” and a “big defeat” for the people of Dublin.

While she said that was “no denying” that antisocial behaviour issues take place there, closing the alleyway was not the solution.

She said that the “regressive” decision demonstrates a “lack of vision and ambition” in tackling Dublin’s social issues.

Horner said that the Council are ignoring a strategy to improve and re-imagine Dublin 1, and no improvements have been made to Harbour Court since then plan was first floated.

“For the past number of years, we’ve enacted none of those recommendations,” she said.

“We’ve taken no actions on the back of that strategy to actually improve Harbour Court, sothe first thing we are moving to do is shut it down without ever trying to improve the area.”

“And on the back of all the conversations we’ve had in the past six weeks or so since the riots about Dublin One and the issues and the problems of it. I find it so demoralising that the first meaningful action we are taking on the back of that is shutting down in public space” she said.

November’s riots were invoked during the voting process, with Independent Christy Burke saying that the riots were organised and formed at Harbour Court.

“I would not walk through it. It is not safe for men, women or children,” Burke told the Irish Independent.

He said that closing the lane was a temporary measure, and that the Council would like to see it reopen.

“I don’t want to see it closed forever,” Burke said.