Grand Canal Dock & Summer

Forever Hopeful

Apologies if this is the wrong forum for this but I live in Grand Canal Dock. I'm lucky as its a great area to live and I can walk to work.
However, I am getting sick of trying to navigate through wet, smelly gangs of teenagers blocking areas, throwing themselves into the water, screeching, swearing. Lads with their hands down their pants, girls wearing next to nothing. Its not a beach!!!! Its put me off going for a walk. Can anything be done about this? After a long days work, the last thing I want is have some degenerate jump out and scream in my face for laughs.
Thanks

TheBandicoot

Gentrificiation of the south inner city is really the only solution. Demolishing Pearse House on Erne St would help, as would demolishing the council estate opposite the Holiday Inn. Realistically that's not going to happen, so we'll just have to live with this class divide in that area.

In the short term complain to the Gardaí, nothing will happen but you can't really do anything else. What will happen is the issue will come to a head with some kind of incident(like say, that riot on that beach in North County Dublin last month), the Gardaí will crack down on the problem for a few days, then after they end the crack down it will start slowly ramping up again until the next incident.

Also, inb4 "shur dey were living there before yous was/dey're only having a bit of craic/shalt of the earth folk so they are" and so on.

monument

There's two things going on here:

(1) People doing things like screaming in your face or generally just shouting -- that's wrong and should be sorted, by the gardai if needed.

(2) People jumping into water in a public space, walking around wet, or wearing next to nothing - there's really no issue, except your sensibilities.

AsianDub

I live around Grand Canal Dock too and am sick of them. It's crept over to Charlotte Quay too since the Ocean Bar closed. And Hanover Quay. Drinking, shouting, music blaring, thinking they're great jumping into the dock. I don't mind people having a few beers in the sun but these are kids who shouldn't have alcohol. Ok most of us did it, few cans when we were kids but never did I pull my pants down to expose myself or just act unpleasant to people around me. Jesus Christ I pay enough to be around here. I want to go out for a walk around the dock but don't want to be around these unstable twats.

I rang the guards earlier, they are aware of it. I said if they don't want a repeat of Portmarnock, they'd want to have a presence around here. They said they have been sending a few guards around and are monitoring the situation.

Tails142

It is a massive problem for the businesses in the area. Fresh had to close its doors the other evening and operate like a nightclub with a bouncer on one of the doors. Obviously not good for business. The Spar on Hanover Quay had had to close the other day at 4pm after a gang of kids rushed in and stole whole cases of drinks. One of their staff members was picked up recently by a gang of lads and thrown into the water.

The guards are aware but there are two things at play - one is there is a split at Gen. McMahon Bridge between Irishtown garda station and Pearse Street and two, the community garda service was cut back in Irishtown garda station, Pearse street station cover the Dail and Dublin Castle so that gardai have been saying their busy covering protests at the dail, they were busy with the eu presidency at Dublin castle up until now etc etc.

It is a total joke and frankly lack of policing has a large part to play. The kids too aren't even locals for the most part they are coming from other parts of Dublin. Frankly it is only a matter of time until there is a serious accident from them jumping into the water from buildings and bridges.

AsianDub

Mr.S wrote: »

"Jesus Christ I pay enough to be around here." - You live in the innercity and expected everyone to be posh and nice!? C'mon now :P

True, I get what you're saying. Bit more policing would be nice though and not just here but everywhere.

Bateman

A simple bit of Garda presence would sort some of this out, on the other hand some of it is just kids being kids. I used to spend a bit of time in that area but don't anymore, don't remember it being that bad in the last few years. School's out for summer though, so a lot of this is to be expected...

...and "we could do with a bit of rain"

Forever Hopeful

Thanks to whomever called the cops...

I decided to go to the gym and when I left all was eerily quiet.
The place looks manky (cans, litter, bottles, socks, shorts strewn everywhere).
I am shocked at the post about the poor guy in Spar being thrown in. FFS, absolute scum to do something like that.
So there was a paddywagon parked outside the Spar with two garda chatting to the owner. He looks sickened. All I heard was the cops saying they get abuse everyday... again FFS... kinda comes with the job.

Hunter Mahan

I wonder how many people calling for a bigger police presence in this instance and others were the same people advocating cut backs in the public service?

It's a question that has crossed my mind a lot recently, the police were tarred with the same brush as the civil servants, as were the fire and ambulance service, and now we are left with the inmates running the asylum it appears.

Shatter reckons his cuts have not effected policing, lies I reckon, where I live I recently discovered the numbers working at night is minimal, often unable to deal with more than one incident at a time.

People should be able to walk the streets on these sunny days without feeling scared and intimidated.

Crash

I've rung the cops on them down at Hanover Quay multiple times at this stage when large crowds have gathered drinking - for the most part I don't care, but a friends car has had windows smashed on Green Street East 3 times over the last year, they were seen twice by other friends and were kids, about 14-16, so as a result they've lost any leeway I might've given them.

Guards are overstretched though, for what they're sending down - originally yesterday afternoon, when there were about 100 kids knocking around the place, there were two bike guards who could do nothing but be a "presence" - wasn't until later that a van came down.

Talking to one of the guys at the till in fresh, he mentioned Spar had been done over about 5 times in the last week, with large groups of kids running in and grabbing everything they can.

On a side note, was impressed to see the guys who run the skate park thing down at Hanover Quay coming out to clean up the area out the front of their space after the kids - nice to see someone putting effort in that they don't necessarily have to.

Mr Whirly

The same thing happens all over town with kids. Does the spar not have security? Obviously you can't defend the kids actions for robbing but it's par for the course in most shops around town.

I haven't seen them hassle any members of the public at all. I also don't see how them jumping in to the dock has any bearing on anybody. Kids in Ringsend have been doing that for a long time and no one should tell them they have to stop because a few blow ins are getting snotty.

Forever Hopeful

Mr Whirly wrote: »

The same thing happens all over town with kids. Does the spar not have security? Obviously you can't defend the kids actions for robbing but it's par for the course in most shops around town.

I haven't seen them hassle any members of the public at all. I also don't see how them jumping in to the dock has any bearing on anybody. Kids in Ringsend have been doing that for a long time and no one should tell them they have to stop because a few blow ins are getting snotty.

A few kids having fun along the canal is one thing, having 100s of them littering, drinking, stripping and playing loud music is another thing. Say you decide one sunny evening, you and your partner would like to go for a bite to eat and a drink down there - maybe Ely - and sit outside only to have a bunch of brats shout in your face and start messing while you and your lovely are trying to enjoy a nice meal.
Or you've decided to treat your elderly parents to a night or two in the lovely Marker hotel only to see that scum and filth about the place. Lockdowns on shops to keep these brats out.
Jumping in and having fun is one thing, but affecting people who live there, eat there, work there, have a business there? Blow ins? FFS - the area is completely different and thriving because of said blow ins.

Mr Whirly

I have been down there lots. No one has shouted in my face or hassled me in any way. Or anyone else I know for that matter.

Those kids live there. The place was grand before Ely and the Marker opened up. I have seen zero trouble in fact. If you think kids having the craic like they always have done in the area is a bad thing it might be time to hit the suburbs.

Calling them scum and filth says more about you than them.

DellyBelly

There's a lot of working class areas around there so you should expect that kind of behaviour I'm afraid. I really don't blame the kids it their parents who are the ones to blame.

Forever Hopeful

Mr Whirly wrote: »

I have been down there lots. No one has shouted in my face or hassled me in any way. Or anyone else I know for that matter.

Those kids live there. The place was grand before Ely and the Marker opened up. I have seen zero trouble in fact. If you think kids having the craic like they always have done in the area is a bad thing it might be time to hit the suburbs.

Calling them scum and filth says more about you than them.

Ok Mr Whirly, I'll just sell up the apartment I bought which is now in negative equity to move to the burbs and end up in more debt. The behaviour down there these weeks is absolutely shocking and shameful.
FYI - I didn't call them scum or filth, I said the area is. Stop looking to get people's backs up.

Forever Hopeful

DellyBelly wrote: »

There's a lot of working class areas around there so you should expect that kind of behaviour I'm afraid. I really don't blame the kids it their parents who are the ones to blame.

I agree with you on that. The parents are completely at fault.

Mr Whirly

Head up the canal to Portobello and you'll see a much older middle class crowd drinking and leaving rubbish behind them at the first sign of sun. Less loud but the same thing.

I think you're overreacting is all. Move into a working class area and you'll find working class kids. I have yet to witness any serious antisocial behaviour from any of the kids around. I don't count hanging out with your mates and jumping in the dock as antisocial behaviour.

Sorry, I misread your point about scum and filth.

Crash

Ah i've seen a fair few things over the last week/week and a bit - i've been working from home though, so I've been around a lot the last while. I'd agree with you to a point that jumping off the bridge and the dockside is something thats been going on for years, and I don't really care about it, but the sheer number (coming home from work there were about 100 coming up from the Hanover Quay end up to Grand Canal Square) and the amount drinking and being stupidly messy is definitely a first over the last few years.

Picking up the chairs and throwing them around the place while people are sitting there
Trying to start fights with the Spar owner guy
Drinking - mostly actually well behaved until about 7-8pm when they either start drinking down my end or move.

about 60-70 of them down at the locks on Friday evening with big speakers set up and a load of drink - place was a tip the next morning (and I saw a fair few people stopping and not walking down there as they were worried about what was going on) - when I walked past with the amount of broken glass (surprisingly enough, the non broken stuff was cleaned up - not sure if that was them, Dublin City, or the lads in the Hanover)

Though I gotta say, if I could throw the little feckers speaker into the docks that would be my first aim - their taste in music is ****ing terrible.

skimpydoo

Mr Whirly wrote: »

The same thing happens all over town with kids. Does the spar not have security? Obviously you can't defend the kids actions for robbing but it's par for the course in most shops around town.

I haven't seen them hassle any members of the public at all. I also don't see how them jumping in to the dock has any bearing on anybody. Kids in Ringsend have been doing that for a long time and no one should tell them they have to stop because a few blow ins are getting snotty.

Mr Whirly when kids:
Throw a member of Spar staff in the water.
Steal things from various shops.
Jump in the water after drinking.
Jump in the water with nobody to save them if they get into difficulties then something has to be done. I also saw kids last week messing about with the rubber rings that you throw into someone who has difficulty swimming.

Also you state things were grand till Ely and the Marker Hotel opened up. I don't see any of their clientele causing trouble. It's obvious you don't live in the area. I live about 5 or so minutes walk away from it and whenever I walk down there I see various forms of antisocial behaviour from mild to extreme.

Mr Whirly

skimpydoo wrote: »

Mr Whirly when kids:
Throw a member of Spar staff in the water.
Steal things from various shops.
Jump in the water after drinking.
Jump in the water with nobody to save them if they get into difficulties then something has to be done. I also saw kids last week messing about with the rubber rings that you throw into someone who has difficulty swimming.

If it's true that a member of staff was thrown in the dock the Guards won't be long identifying the culprit. They are the same kids that are always knocking around. There's lots of CCTV down there too. Obviously that is unacceptable.

In regards to things getting robbed that is only happening in the Spar because they have no security. I worked in Spars and shops in town when I was younger and if there is no security you will be robbed by kids. That's down to the owner to sort it out. It's annoying at worst.

In regards to the rest of your points. That has always happened down there. As far as I know there is nothing illegal about swimming there. The kids are well able to swim as you might have noticed. Even when the weather is not great they still do it over the summer holidays wearing wet suits. They don't need saving.

I also haven't noticed lots of drinking by kids there at all.

Mr Whirly

Crash wrote: »

Ah i've seen a fair few things over the last week/week and a bit - i've been working from home though, so I've been around a lot the last while. I'd agree with you to a point that jumping off the bridge and the dockside is something thats been going on for years, and I don't really care about it, but the sheer number (coming home from work there were about 100 coming up from the Hanover Quay end up to Grand Canal Square) and the amount drinking and being stupidly messy is definitely a first over the last few years.

They're the same kids that are in Ringsend park every weekend when the weather isn't as good and they are in school. They are harmless. You don't see the Tesco or the Spar in the village having the same trouble because they have locals working in the shops.

The littering is new to you because they are normally in the park. As I said before take a walk up the canal and you'll see people drinking and littering the whole way up on sunny days. Outside the Barge will be a mess.

Crash

I dunno, I used go running in the park (more when I lived in Ringsend than here) and never noticed the level of litter and broken bottles on a sunny weekend/week mid summer. and for the most part they are harmless (at least i've personally had **** all problems as long as i've lived around the area)

I don't disagree with you about up the canal either btw - doesn't excuse either group though really does it? and to be honest, part of the difference is one's right outside my window from about 1.30 - 2pm (sounds like a bad festival out there with the tunes at the mo) until they get bored or get moved on by the guards. So i'm distinctly more likely to get annoyed about one group than the other.

Mr Whirly

Fair enough. They'll be back in the park in no time anyway. I think the first couple of posts making it sound like Beirut are laughable though.

Forever Hopeful

Mr Whirly wrote: »

Fair enough. They'll be back in the park in no time anyway. I think the first couple of posts making it sound like Beirut are laughable though.

Beirut is far more stable and well behaved in comparison. I think you mean Syria.

Ole Rodrigo

Its just working class culture. Unless you have a solution to narrow the class divide and inequality..may as well jus get on with it. Maybe some how to behave in public lessons ? Sure the majority of us dont have to look back that far to see our humble origins. Ireland has always been a rural or working class culture. Unless you were part of the ascendancy ! :P

I do take your point though, it is annoying. I can tell you the junky problem up the other end is even more annoying, and it doesn't go away when the good weather is over.

AsianDub

Look I don't mind kids being kids and having fun and as I said in an earlier post most of us have had a few cans in the sun.
Just clean up after yourself and have respect for the people around you. The place was a tip last and it's getting filthy now.

As ror_74 may as well get on with it because arguing on boards certainly won't help.

On a positive note I get some free towels and jocks! Score!

Enjoy the sun!

Judge

Up until recently there used to be a full time private security presence on the dock - I have been, politely, moved along by them for taking photographs on the dock without a permit and the lad there was also doing a decent enough job of chasing the "local colour" away.

According to the chap that moved me on, the company that hired the security and is supposed to be the facilities manager for the dock area is:

HSG Zander,
1 Exchange Place,
IFSC,
Dublin 1

Phone: 670 2242
Email: info@ie.hsgzander.com

Perhaps you should drop them a line?

Of course there is nothing like a bit of corporate pressure on the auld Gardai to get them to pull the finger out and actually do a job of work for once in their lives. I would, therefore, suggest you write to the following, saying you were intimidated from visiting their premises by the presence of the yobbos on the dock:

The Manager,
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre,
Grand Canal Square,
Grand Canal Harbour,
Dublin 2

The Manager,
The Marker Hotel,
Grand Canal Square,
Grand Canal Harbour,
Dublin 2

The Manager,
Ely Gastro Bar,
Grand Canal Square,
Grand Canal Harbour,
Dublin 2

You might also write to the following to ask how they feel about how well the area is policed and what impression it leaves their clients with:

Accenture,
1 Grand Canal Square,
Grand Canal Harbour,
Dublin 2

Capita,
2 Grand Canal Square,
Grand Canal Harbour,
Dublin 2

Facebook,
Hanover Reach,
6-7 Hanover Quay,
Dublin 2

Let me emphasise that you should communicate with all of these by LETTER - yes with stamps and everything - because non-electronic communication is so unusual now it makes a lot of companies sit up and listen. Follow up with an email if you hear nothing within a week and copy all correspondence to the local Garda station.

Crash

just coming back from a run there over the locks from Ringsend, two engines and a car from the Fire Brigade responding to a medium sized fire in the derlict buildings at the end of John Rogerson's Quay.

Also, at least one of the kids must thing he's in Baltimore, calling out 5-0 when the guards were wandering around :P

Ole Rodrigo

Judge wrote: »

Of course there is nothing like a bit of corporate pressure on the auld Gardai to get them to pull the finger out and actually do a job of work for once in their lives. I would, therefore, suggest you write to the following, saying you were intimidated from visiting their premises by the presence of the yobbos on the dock:

Problem is the Guards cant do much unless there are some laws been broken. And the laws are very lax with stuff like this. If they cant do anything about junkies in the city centre - inspite of pressure from local business interests - they cant do much about rambunctious kids.

I was down there recently and I saw a tourist with a DSLR taking photos of those kids jumping in the water all afternoon. I guess for him it was a unique part of Dublin's culture. For residents they are a pain the ass. For the Guards they are a waste of manpower. For the courts its about protecting their rights. Writing to local Multinationals will probably be a waste of time - they would rather side with the guy taking the photos.

IQO

Not sure if this is anywhere related to this discussion, but I work in the area and during lunchtime today there was a helicopter hovering around the Grand Canal for about 15 minutes. Didn't see any Gardai around but there was quite a presence of youngsters described earlier, this time pushing eachother into the water.

They seemed to like moving around, and everytime they hit another spot the office crowd enjoying lunch was quickly gone when their new companions joined them. Quick capture of the helicopter (I had the feeling it was much closer to the water than the picture suggests)



More of the "joyful" lunchtime atmosphere around Grand Canal Dock was posted on Twitter today:

https://twitter.com/bdeithrick/status/354611607696973827/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Gracious_Dools/status/354675810742984704
https://twitter.com/HuffPostUKPics/status/354599349910642689

gurramok

I'm shocked at the reports here. I used to live down that way and the last summer i experienced was in 2011 and there was hardly any trouble as described. Certainly not the numbers involved, it was usually about 20 kids max with no air of hostility about.