A NEWLY-INSTALLED playground in north Dublin is closed until further notice after a fire ripped through the site yesterday evening.

The playground, located in Oscar Traynor Park close to the Kilmore West Recreation Centre in Coolock, sustained major damage after an arson attack on the site shortly after 9pm on Sunday.

Gardaí and firefighters attended the scene at around 10.30pm, and the fire was extinguished.

There were no injuries in the fire.

Investigations are ongoing, a garda spokesperson said.

Footage of the fire was shared across social media last night.

The Kilmore West Playground! I am absolutely FUMING 😡 the only thing for the kids around here, and they Love it. Isn’t it no wonder we don’t get anything? Some dragged up little pricks around here!! 🤬can’t have anything nice in this KIP!!!!!! @DubCityCouncil @OCallaghanCian pic.twitter.com/H9fmFVlFAN

— Amanda Lynch 🇵🇸🍉🇵🇸 (@Ontheboldstep) November 16, 2025

The main frame and slide in the centre of the playground was entirely destroyed in the fire. A number of other playground equipment items, such as the swings, sustained fire damage.

Dublin City Council have confirmed that the site is closed until further notice as a result of the fire.

“The next stage is to close the playground and get an assessment of the damage and quotations for repairs,” a Dublin Fire Brigade spokesperson told The Journal.

“The assessment will inform whether the playground can be made safe and available to the community before the repairs can be affected, or if the playground has to remain closed on safety grounds,” the spokesperson added.

The playground had only recently been installed. The site was officially opened by Dublin City Council in June this year.

Local Social Democrats councillor Jesslyn Henry said she was “absolutely disgusted” by the vandalism.

Henry, who lives close to the park, said she could “see the smoke” from her house yesterday evening.

“It’s so sad to see. Councillors have been fighting for this playground for more than a decade, and it was only recently opened,” Henry said.

She added that two local schools had availed of the site “almost daily” since its installation.

“It was a fantastic site, and the community loved it.”

It is understood that gardaí are seeking doorbell footage of the incident from nearby houses.

The vandalism follows a number of similar incidents across Dublin.

In September, a local playground in Castlegate Park, Lucan, also suffered an arson attack, and another playground in Sandymount suffered an attack the following week.

A number of newly-installed public toilets in St Anne’s Park were also vandalised last month.