A travel warning was issued late last night after violence erupted on the streets of Dublin in the wake of a knife attack in the Irish capital.
A police car, tram and bus were among vehicles set alight. A Holiday Inn Express and a hostel were targeted and shops looted amid riots in the city centre live streamed on social media.
Public transport was disrupted in parts of the city throughout the night, while the ambulance service said it was “extremely busy”.
The disorder was blamed by the Irish police on a “lunatic, hooligan faction driven by far-right ideology”.
The situation appeared quieter overnight and police said the streets were now “mainly calm”.
However, the Foreign Office earlier warned British travellers to avoid Parnell Street East and O’Connell Street in central Dublin due to reports of protests and unrest following a knife attack.
“You should avoid these areas and follow advice of local authorities,” the updated travel advice said.
Irish police said a five-year-old girl was in emergency care following the knife attack. A woman in her 30s and two other children aged five and six were also injured
Officers said they were not looking for anyone other than a man involved in the incident outside a school on Thursday lunchtime. Police said they were “keeping an open mind” about any motive.
More than 400 police officers reported to be on the streets at the height of the response to the riots.
Some were attacked but no serious injuries were reported by police or members of the public.
Traffic police posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Dublin City centre streets were now “mainly calm”.
A series of arrests have since been made.