Man arrested after siege is charged with having firearm

A MAN involved in a 16-hour stand-off with armed gardaí in west Dublin last week has appeared in court charged with possession of a firearm.

Stephen Doherty, 44, appeared in Blanchardstown District Court at 10.30am on Friday, but it wasn’t reported at the time. The case was adjourned.

The stand-off, which began at around 9am on Wednesday at St Mark’s Drive in Clondalkin, culminated in the arrest of Mr Doherty, who has an address at St Mark’s Drive, in the early hours of Thursday.

Following the peaceful conclusion to the siege, gardaí heaped praise on locals for their hospitality for the duration.

People around St Mark’s estate were thanked for ‘their cups of tea and coffee’ as armed gardaí were locked in the protracted stand-off; the surrounding area had been in lockdown from 9am on Wednesday until 1am on Thursday. Superintendent Paul Dolan said: ‘A full-scale policing operation was implemented which caused significant disruption to the local residents.

‘As superintendent with responsibility for the area, I wish... to convey my gratitude for the assistance received.

‘To the local residents for their patience... for their cups of tea and coffee to gardaí... on long tours of duty and for their friendliness throughout the incident.’

He also thanked the media for complying with Garda requests for a blackout for the duration of the siege.