BUSINESS OWNERS AND staff on Talbot Street in Dublin’s north city centre have said that an arson attack that “severely damaged” a mosque and a coffee shop must be a “turning point”, as there is now an urgent need for an increased garda presence. 

Yesterday at around 3.30pm an arson attack saw the exteriors of the Al-Madinah Prayer Hall and the adjoining Central Brew Coffee shop set ablaze, with the use of an accelerant involved. 

CCTV of the incident viewed by The Journal shows a lone man dousing the exterior of the prayer hall with some form of accelerant before using a lighter to set the exterior on fire.

A man in his 40s has been arrested in connection with the incident. The mosque and coffee shop are both closed to the public until further notice. 

John Kennedy, the owner of the neighbouring coffee shop Central Brew Coffee and a nearby casino, said that the damage caused by the fire was “significant” and that while no one was injured or lost their lives, “next time we may not be so fortunate”. 

John Kennedy, the owner of the neighbouring coffee shop and casino.

Kennedy said that in one incident that took place outside his casino six weeks ago, he had to intervene when six youths were intimidating a security guard, and in the process he himself was “slashed in the stomach with a Stanley knife”.

He said that more than 70 businesses and stakeholders have joined the a new group – the Talbot Street Stakeholders Association – because of the rise in anti-social behaviour in the area. 

“We used to have gardaí stationed at the intersections on the street, and you did not see these kinds of incidents happening here, it’s become less safe,” he said.

He added that his shop has suffered fire damage to the exterior from the attack, and water damage from the efforts by firefighters to extinguish the blaze. 

“I’ve contacted my insurers this morning, but we’re getting together now as businesses on the street to push for something to be done about this, because incidents are happening regularly,” he said.

Laura, one of the staff members in the coffee shop who was working as the fire began, said that the incident was “terrifying”.

“I heard someone yelling and then there was a small fire, but it extended up the building.

“It was terrifying, people were running and didn’t know what was happening, we were stuck inside until a garda came and helped us to get out through the front,” she said.

Meanwhile, staff in the neighbouring coffee shop said that the incident has left people “shaken” and that they became aware of what was happening when a passerby entered their shop to take the fire extinguisher and put out the flames.