The man, who did not wish to be named, uses the Dart station almost every day to commute to work. He was one of two people attacked near a “temporary” stairwell at the station last week.
The access point to Clongriffin Dart station has now been in place for 13 years, and local residents have experienced multiple issues on the non-Irish Rail-owned Baldoyle side for over a decade.
On Tuesday, October 8, the man was returning home from a work event around 8pm when he was jumped by a gang of roughly eight young adults.
“It didn’t even occur to me to be scared walking home from the station in the dark. As a man, my default isn’t to worry about these things, which I understand is a privilege,” he said.
“I was alone, and they started picking on me, shouting and calling me various slurs.
“I ignored them, but I could hear their footsteps and tried not to show fear. If I started running, it would probably just incentivise them to chase me.
“I picked up the pace but didn’t run. They started chasing me, and one of them was on a bike. I was surrounded by eight guys, four of whom immediately started punching me in the head,” he added.
The victim eventually wriggled out from under the four attackers before a couple walking a dog came along and the youths left.
Minutes later, he met another victim of an attack by the same group, a man with a bloody nose walking barefoot from the station.
The two men called gardaí and waited until 9.20pm for them to arrive at the scene.
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said they are “aware of an incident where a man (30s) was assaulted in the Clongriffin area, Co Dublin, on October 8 at approximately 8pm.
“No injuries have been reported, and no arrests have been made. Investigations are ongoing,” they added.
The attack victim also criticised the split jurisdiction at the Dart station for reporting any incidents to gardaí.
The attacks happened on the Baldoyle side of the station, but because Coolock Garda station has jurisdiction over the top of the escalator, while Howth Garda station covers the bottom, there seems to be no clear ownership of the area around the stairwell.
“It is rather macabre that the top of the Baldoyle escalator, a ‘temporary’ structure to access Clongriffin Dart, is covered by Coolock Garda station, while the bottom of the escalator and the footpath in front of it are covered by Howth Garda station,” he said.
“If you dial 999 and say an incident happened nearby Clongriffin Dart station, even if you tell them it’s on the Baldoyle side, they’ll have to input the Clongriffin-side Eircode into their system, thus sending the wrong dispatch because there is no Eircode for the Baldoyle escalator.
“The Baldoyle escalator doesn’t even exist on official maps and has no Eircode. Because of this, most incidents probably get logged incorrectly.
“What’s more, Howth Garda station closes at 7pm. After that, calls from its jurisdiction get routed to either Coolock or Raheny, and the lack of clear definition makes this a systemic problem,” he added.
The long-running saga has also seen the lift out of service on multiple occasions, leaving commuters who need it unable to use the station.
The man who was attacked said he feels “he got off lucky” after seeing the injuries sustained by the other victim.
“What are we waiting for before taking this problem seriously and increasing security? What kind of harm needs to happen before stronger deterrents are put in place?” he asked.
“Why is the elevator not integrated into the Irish Rail operator-based system like all other Dart stations? Why is the station unmanned?”
Campaigner Samantha O’Flanagan, from the Myrtle the Coast Residents Association, said they are “deeply shocked”, if unsurprised, by the recent assaults.
“For the past two years, we have consistently raised concerns about safety alongside ongoing access issues,” she said.
“The repeated delays in improvement works are incredibly disappointing, particularly as the first phase, initially scheduled for September, has now been pushed to early 2025.
“This means residents face yet another winter dealing with these serious concerns. Fingal County Council must follow through on its commitments to improve the public realm around the stairwell.
“Key measures such as removing the enclosed metal fencing, enhancing street lighting, and installing CCTV are urgently needed to ensure safety.
“This is an unmanned Dart station, so there’s no deterrent here at all. Our local garda station in Howth is severely under-resourced,” she added.
Richmond Homes, Fingal County Council and Irish Rail have been contacted for comment.
