Dublin Grand Canal migrant camps: ‘I’m trying to close the fences… government policies are out of sight, out of mind’

The supposed solution to the tent problem along Dublin’s Grand Central is miles of barriers, which are set to remain in place until October. John Meagher talks to migrants who see the area as a haven and locals who hope for better options

Fenced: A woman spends time on the Grand Canal in Dublin. Photo: Mark Condren

It’s a classic view of Dublin. Stand on Eustace Bridge on Leeson Street, looking east, and admire the final stretch of the 132-kilometre Grand Canal. Framed by trees and dense foliage along the towpath, all reflected in the water, it’s an idyllic sight amid the hustle and bustle of the southern inner city. It seems particularly magical at this time of year. “So peacefully green in the heart of summer,” as Patrick Kavanagh famously put it.

What the great poet would have done with a steel fence along his beloved canal is anyone’s guess. For the past six weeks, a two-metre-high steel fence has run along the canal from Clanwilliam Place, near the Aviva Stadium, to the bridge at Harold’s Cross, about two miles away. It seems to be getting longer with each passing week.