Violence at Coolock protest site ‘has not reoccurred’, High Court told

The level of violence seen at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock in Dublin during the summer “has not reoccurred” but the situation remains unresolved, the High Court has been told.
The court on Friday extended an injunction restraining four named people and “persons unknown” from attending the site, which was due to be transformed into accommodation for asylum-seekers.
The site has been the scene of violence, arson attacks, criminal damage and long-term protest over plans to house international protection applicants in the former warehouse.
At the High Court, Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy told Bernard Dunleavy SC, representing both the leaseholder and developer of the site, that he would extend an interlocutory injunction issued in July, at the height of the trouble, forbidding people from trespassing upon or impeding access to the site.
His order also prohibits threatening or intimidating behaviour directed at employees or contractors of site lease-holder Townbe Unlimited Company and developer Remcoll Capital Ltd.
The order applies to “persons unknown, attending at or in the vicinity of the Crown Paint factory for the purpose of engaging in violent, threatening or intimidating protests against the accommodation of foreign nationals at the site” and four named individuals.
Two of the defendants, Kevin Coyle, of Corbally Rise, Saggart and Leon Bradley, of Virginia Park, Finglas, were local election candidates.
It is alleged Mr Coyle posted an online video of himself on the property on July 21st, which amounts to trespass.
Mr Bradley is also alleged to have posted on social media on the same date that he is alleged to have thrown rocks on the roof of the property.
The third individual is Sean Rush, of Edenmore Avenue, Coolock, who is alleged to have set up the ‘Coolock Says No’ page on X and to have incited and encouraged riots and disturbances at the property.
A fourth man was joined as a defendant as an alleged trespasser but he cannot be named yet as his address has not been identified, beyond being listed in court papers as ‘Cork City via social media’.
None of the men attended the hearing at the Four Courts and Mr Dunleavy said there had been no engagement with the defendants.
Advertisements containing the orders were carried in two newspapers, while three of the four individuals have been served at their addresses while the fourth male has been served by social media.
At the brief hearing on Friday, Mr Dunleavy said “thankfully, things have calmed down but the situation is not resolved – there is a residual protest adjacent to the site”.
Mr Dunleavy said the level of violence during the summer at the site “has not reoccurred”.
The barrister said the gardaí had been helpful in their “ongoing engagement” but had advised not to publish the judge’s order at the site “for public order reasons”.
In July, violent scenes erupted at the site leading to injuries to gardaí and security personnel, the burning of a digger and improvised incendiary devices being found nearby.