Security have been instructed to allow anyone carrying a TCard to enter campus following a brief ban on non-residents entering this evening.
Security at entrances to campus, including Front Gate and Nassau Street, began refusing entry to non-residents at around 8.30pm evening, hours before usual closing time, offering little explanation for the policy.
Trinity College Dublin’s Students’ Union (TCDSU) President Gabi Fullam contacted the security control room at Front Gate regarding the issue, after which the restriction was lifted.
Libraries remain open until 10pm on weekdays during term time, with some students still in the midst of exams until tomorrow afternoon. Kinsella Hall also remains open 24 hours a day.
This evening saw huge numbers descend on the Pavilion Bar (the Pav) for the final “Pav Friday” event of the college year, leading some to speculate that the high concentration of crowds prompted the temporary closure of campus to non-residents.
Speaking to Trinity News, Fullam called the decision “unacceptable” saying that it “leaves students in an unnecessarily precarious situation”.
“We do not understand how and why that decision was made, and we empathize with students who were turned away from their own campus.”
She continues: “We will be following up with Trinity Security and administration to understand how and why this blatantly unfair policy came to be tonight, and ensure that it can be prevented in future.”
“Students have a right to access campus, and it’s particularly unacceptable that they were turned away during library opening hours while exams are still ongoing.”
“This is symbolic of the disrespect and disregard college has for its students, we deserve stability. It’s not their college, it’s ours,” Fullam concluded.
Fullam further clarified: “As of 10pm, TCDSU has been made aware that ID checks have been removed, but we still advise students to carry their TCard while we seek
clarity on the situation.”
