The most dangerous places in Dublin.

Like most big cities, Dublin has a number of places that the average person would consider rough or dangerous.

Although what a person considers dangerous can be subjective, there are certain parts of Ireland’s capital city that do have a bad reputation.

In most cases, this is due to anti-social activity.

It is important to note that an area can get a bad reputation because of one or two housing estates. For example, Finglas is a large suburb that has over 30,000 people living in multiple neighborhoods. In this case, the “rough areas” are usually in “pockets”.

One street can be completely peaceful, while another estate a few blocks down can have a small minority of residents who engage in anti-social activity.

Having said that, this is a list of the areas in Dublin that have picked up a bad reputation over the years.

Note that these are not ranked in order, as crime data is not released on a per-neighborhood basis. Therefore, there is no way to discern which place is the worst.

Darndale.

Darndale is an area on the northside of Dublin that has a large amount of social housing.

It started off as a housing experiment that involved creating 3,000 low-rise social houses with communal courts, which were supposed to foster “neighborly bonds”.

However, the designers failed to take into account how large Irish working-class families could be at the time.

Furthermore, many of the amenities that this new “suburban paradise” was supposed to have simply failed to materialize.

As a result, the project resulted in hundreds of bored youths crammed into a social housing estate on the outskirts of Dublin.

Not before long, the courts became a haven for anti-social activity, and Darndale turned into a ghetto.

Nowadays, the area is dogged by criminal activity. Only recently, a report by former Assistant Garda Commissioner Jack Nolan stated that Darndale needed more of a police presence.

According to Nolan’s report, gangland criminals in Darndale are using intimidation tactics against residents in order to control the drug trade in the area.

Recent incident: In May of 2019, Jordan Davis was shot dead in a gangland hit in Darndale as he was walking with his four-month-old child.

Jobstown.

Jobstown is located in Tallaght, which is a suburb in the southwest of Dublin.

Like Darndale, Jobstown is an example of what can happen when you build large swathes of social housing with no amenities or social structures.

On the Internet, you will find anecdotal tales about fast food restaurants refusing to deliver to certain areas in Jobstown due to robberies and assaults.

On three occasions in February of 2020, Dublin Bus was forced to suspend night routes in the area due to anti-social activity.

A survey in 2017 found that the drug trade was the single biggest concern among residents living in the area.

In 2018, following heavy snowfall, a LIDL supermarket in Jobstown was destroyed by a stolen JCB digger. A group of people then looted the supermarket.

The area has also been in the news because of drug seizures. Gardai discovered €700,000 worth of heroin at a house in the Bawnlea housing estate in Jobstown back in July of 2019.

The murder of Adam Muldoon (23) took place in Butler’s Park in Jobstown in June of 2018. Muldoon, who was homeless and suffering from cerebral palsy, received over 150 stab wounds.

There have also been reports of attacks on taxi drivers in the area. For example, one taxi driver suffered broken teeth and bruises after his passengers decided to attack him and rob him.

Finglas.

Finglas has picked up a bad reputation over the years because of criminality and anti-social activity in pockets of the suburb.

However, it is important to note that Finglas encompasses a large area and that there are plenty of estates that are perfectly fine. In fact, I would say that most places in Finglas are pretty normal.

Generally speaking, trouble occurs in small pockets.

In saying that, at the time of writing, some of the cheapest houses that I could find in Dublin were located in Finglas. In both the past and present, the suburb has been home to a number of organized crime members and gangs.

Generally speaking, it is the southern and western parts of Finglas that seem to have a bad reputation for being rough. In 2018, Finglas West and Blanchardstown (Dublin West) had the third-highest crime rates in the capital.

Recently, Dublin Bus had to divert the 40E route in Finglas due to anti-social activity. The route in question goes through Finglas West.

This is not the first time that this has happened, either. At the start of 2020, Dublin Bus suspended two bus stops in Finglas West due to similar behavior.

In February of 2016, the gangland shooting of 25-year-old Vincent Ryan took place in Finglas. In January of 2014, an assault at a house party on Wellmount Road led to the death of Vincent Maher.

There have also been complaints of drug abuse in the area. One resident stated that the situation was getting out of hand and that you could find people openly abusing drugs in any park in the area at any time of the day.

Ballymun.

Ballymun became notorious for its high-rise tower blocks, which were a planning disaster.

It serves as yet another example of what can happen when you build a large amount of public housing in one spot with little or no amenities.

Unfortunately, it did not take long before the flats became a breeding ground for anti-social activity and drug abuse.

In 2015, the last of the tower blocks were demolished. However, their reputation still lives on.

Although Ballymun does seem to be improving, it still has its fair share of problems.

Drug abuse is still prevalent in the area, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. I don’t think anyone believed that knocking down the tower blocks would magically eliminate every problem in the suburb.

Anti-social elements also exist in the area. Only recently, there were reports of a mass brawl between gangs of teenagers from Ballymun and Finglas.

The area can also be a litter blackspot. In 2019, Ballymun received one of the worst litter ratings from An Tasice since their ranking system began.

Recently, an online video showed a man firing a machine gun on the streets of Ballymun. The man in question received a 15-year sentence for the incident.

In 2018, there were news reports that crack cocaine dealers in the area were using preteens as part of their network. The year before that, two innocent people lost their lives in a botched gangland shooting on Balbutcher Drive.

All in all, the suburb still has a number of issues with anti-social behavior.

Sheriff Street.

Sheriff Street is located in the north inner city of Dublin. In the past, it had a terrible reputation because of its high crime rate. This was mostly due to the heroin epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s.

However, since then, its reputation has slightly improved.

In saying that, Sheriff Street still has a number of issues with anti-social activity and crime. Last year, in 2019, Dublin Council employees had to receive garda protection while they were working in the area. This was due to the threatening and abusive behavior that they were receiving.

Locals have also complained that a significant drug problem exists in the area.

In 2018, gardai raided a house on Sheriff Street and seized a revolver and cocaine. In 2016, the gangland shooting of Michael Barr took place in the area.

Reports also suggest that the area is a litter blackspot and that gangs of youths will drive around on scramblers. Note that it is Sheriff Street Lower that seems to have a bad reputation for being rough. The Upper part is considered by most people to be a lot quieter.

In general, the north inner city can be a bit dodgy, especially at night.

Ballyfermot.

Ballyfermot is a suburb in the west of Dublin. Generally speaking, it doesn’t have a great reputation.

Last month, a gangland shooting took the life of a 50-year-old man in the Croftwood Park area of Ballyfermot.

The suburb also has issues with youths engaging in anti-social activity.

Only recently, an online video surfaced of a boarded-up house that had been set on fire:

Bus drivers have also reported incidents of threatening behavior and stone-throwing.

According to most people I’ve spoken to, it’s the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot that seems to have the worst reputation.

In 2019, there was an “upsurge” of anti-social behavior among youths. This led to increased patrols by the gardai, who warned residents not to engage with the gangs.

Notably, the suburb seems to get worse around Halloween. One resident described Halloween in Ballyfermot as a “hell hole”, with youths launching fireworks at houses.

Clondalkin.

The suburb of Clondalkin is in the southwest of Dublin. The general consensus is that areas such as Bawnogue and Neilstown in Clondalkin have a bad reputation for anti-social behavior.

In 2018, construction on a housing site in Clondalkin was halted after builders refused to work due to threats of violence.

Last year, Dublin Bus had to stop their service five times in two weeks after vandals near Neilstown threw stones and set off fireworks near passing buses.

News reports from 2016 show that many of the estates in north Clondalkin were dealing with issues such as street fighting, drug dealing, and shootings. Gangs of youths causing disturbances were also a problem.

In 2019, a video of youths shooting a firework at a cyclist on the Grand Canal Greenway in Clondalkin went viral:

The Clondalkin Neighbourhood Watch page on Facebook also contains stories about groups of teenagers breaking into cars and then laughing after being told to leave.

Other areas in Dublin that people consider dangerous.

A list of other areas in Dublin that people consider “rough” or “dangerous”:

• Certain estates in Tallaght. However, Tallaght is so big that it’s basically a city in itself.
• Mountjoy on the north side of the city can be a bit ropey at times. Especially around the park. This includes the likes of Summerhill, which can be dodgy at night.
• The area around the Guinness storehouse. This is known as The Liberties.
• Parts of Inchicore, which is a small suburb to the west of the city centre.
• Parts of Rialto and Dolphin’s Barn on the south side of the inner city.
• Certain estates in Blanchardstown can be a bit rough at times. However, like Tallaght, Blanchardstown is a pretty big place.

Are there any “no-go” areas in Dublin?

Personally, I do not think so. In the vast majority of cases, you will be able to pass through these areas without being attacked, robbed, or hassled.

If you are from a big city, then you probably already know the deal. Keep your head down, hide your valuables, and try not to stick out. Avoid dark areas, parks, and alleyways, and stick to the main streets.

If you have a choice, avoid some of these areas at night, as that is when you tend to have gangs of youths hanging around. Especially on weekend nights, when alcohol is more likely to have been consumed.

“Place X isn’t dangerous.”

I often see these kinds of comments from people who live in the area and fit in. That, or they are familiar with the location and know which places to avoid.

For example, there are plenty of estates that I would personally walk through without feeling intimidated. However, I still wouldn’t recommend them to an American tourist or someone else who is likely to draw attention.

I also wouldn’t recommend that someone buy or rent a house there if there are other options available.

You and I may not feel intimidated by groups of youths loitering outside of shops. However, there are people out there who will. Furthermore, these people may stick out more and draw attention to themselves.

People will also say things such as, “Most places in X are fine!” And that is probably true. However, this guide is for “outsiders” who don’t know the area and are far more likely to take a wrong turn.

The worst areas in Dublin.

Although many of these areas have a bad reputation for being rough or dangerous, it is not that simple.

We are talking about large suburban areas, and each estate can be different from the next.

The majority of the people who live in these places are hardworking family people. It usually tends to be a small minority of troublemakers who drag the area down.

You also have to take into account that an estate can be pretty bad without being technically located in any of these suburbs.

Instead, it could be located on the outskirts of the suburb. For example, a street on the edges of Darndale could be less pleasant to live on than a street that is actually in Darndale.

To make matters even more confusing, areas can go through transformations, as the youths who initially gave the area a bad name will sometimes grow up and become model citizens.

If you are considering moving to a Dublin estate, I recommend that you visit it during the day and at night on a weekend.

There are a number of signs that the area might be a bit rough:

• Gangs of youths are hanging around.
• There are youths driving around on scrambler motorbikes.
• Horses are roaming around on the green or in people’s front gardens.
• Boarded-up houses.
• There is a lot of litter.
• The rent or price of the house you’re looking at is much cheaper than houses in other areas.
• There are signs that fires have been lit in the area.

If an area checks some of the boxes above, then I would be cautious about living there.

If you think I have missed a place or you would like to add some information of your own, feel free to post a comment below.