College has fully reopened following a lockdown of campus overnight due to scenes of rioting in Dublin city centre.
College has confirmed that graduation ceremonies due to take place today will go ahead, but reassured graduates who are unable to make it that their ceremony will be rescheduled to another date.
In an email to staff and students, Chief Operating Officer Orla Cunningham said: “We are planning to operate a normal day but are keeping a close watch on the situation.”
She added: “It is likely that there will be an increased gardaí presence in the city today and you should check before travelling in to the university as some public transport may still be disrupted and some city centre roads may be closed.”
In a further update, Cunningham reiterated that students will not be penalised for missing lectures, arriving late, or leaving early, highlighting that many students slept in temporary bedding on campus overnight and would need to travel home.
“I wish to confirm that if some students can’t make it in at all today they will not be penalised either.”
Cunningham thanked the College community for its support and patience throughout last night’s unrest, which saw clashes with gardaí, shops looted and buses, Luas carriages and emergency vehicles set on fire.
The scenes of violence have been widely condemned, with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris describing those carrying out the rioting as a “complete lunatic, hooligan faction”.
Messages of solidarity with immigrant and ethnic minority communities have been shared widely on social media, condemning racist sentiments expressed online in support of rioters.
Harris has said that 34 arrests were made during the unrest, 32 of which will be appearing before the courts this morning.
