Five ‘persons of interest’ in Dublin riots identified after garda appeal

Five “persons of interest” in the Dublin riots were identified just hours into a fresh appeal issued one year on.

Gardai said there had been a “very significant public response” after they released images of 99 people they had deemed “persons of interest”.

Launching the fresh appeal on Tuesday morning, Gardai said, to progress their criminal investigation, they need to “identify each of these ‘persons of interest’ and interview each to either rule each individual ‘in or out’ of the investigative process”.

They urged the public to help them with their inquiries.

On Tuesday evening, Gardai said they received “a very significant public response to this appeal for information”.

They said five individuals had been identified, but they could not confirm at this time the role of any of the individuals in the events of November 23, 2023.

They also cautioned that it should not be presumed that identification means criminal involvement in these events.

Gardai went on to say they continue to request the assistance from members of the public who can provide information for any of the remaining 94 “persons of interest’” through the Garda website.

Rioting broke out in the Irish capital after three children and a care worker were injured in an attack outside a primary school and creche on Parnell Square East, for which a man has been charged and appeared before the courts.

A Garda car, buses and a Luas tram were set on fire, shops were looted and infrastructure, such as traffic lights, was damaged during the riot.

Of the 28 vehicles damaged that night, 15 were official Garda cars and two belonged to the Dublin Fire Brigade.

Gardai said 66 premises or places of business were subject to criminal damage.

Of the 57 people arrested in connection with the public disorder to date, 53 have been charged.

Gardai said the 134 charge sheets to date include 25 counts of criminal damage, including arson, 22 counts of burglary and five counts under the firearms and offensive weapons offences.

More than 17,000 hours of CCTV footage was also retrieved by Gardai.