Teen charged with arson at Goat Bar and Grill in south Dublin

A 15-year-old boy has appeared before Dublin Children's Court charged with arson at a well-known south Dublin pub. The Irish Times reports the case is set for a preliminary hearing in June.

Goatstown pub arson charge brought against 15-year-old

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with arson at the Goat Bar and Grill in Goatstown, south Co Dublin, the Irish Times reports.

The teenager, who cannot be named as he is a juvenile, appeared before Dublin Children's Court on Monday. He is accused of causing criminal damage by fire to three air conditioning units, a wooden partition, and the flooring and roofing of the pub's beer garden, on a date in May 2025.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has recommended the boy face trial at Circuit Court level, which carries wider sentencing powers than the Children's Court.

Judge Brendan Toale granted a defence application for disclosure of prosecution evidence and scheduled a preliminary hearing for June to determine how the trial will proceed.

That process falls under Section 75 of the Children Act, which allows the Children's Court to consider accepting jurisdiction in serious cases by weighing the accused's age, maturity, and other relevant factors through defence submissions.

The boy was remanded on continuing bail.

Source: Irish Times