Oberstown Children Detention Campus
Youth facility in Fingal, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oberstown Children Detention Campus (/ˈoʊbərzˌtaʊn/; Irish: Campas Coinneála Leanaí Bhaile an Oibricigh) is a youth detention centre located in the north part of County Dublin (Fingal), Ireland.[3] It houses both male and female offenders.[4][5]
 | |
  Location in County Dublin | |
| Coordinates | 53.555300°N 6.191041°W |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Children detention campus |
| Capacity | 46[1] |
| Population | 39 (as of June 2025[2]) |
| Opened | 1983, 1991, 2016 |
| Managed by | Board of Management of Oberstown |
| Director | Damien Hernon |
| Street address | Old Coach Road, Oberstown |
| City | Lusk |
| County | County Dublin |
| State/province | Leinster |
| Postal code | K45 AY66 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Website | oberstown |
History
The Oberstown campus, near Lusk in North County Dublin, was previously home to three semi-independent detention schools; Trinity House Reformatory School, a high-security institution, was opened in 1983 and Oberstown Boys School and Oberstown Girls School, which opened in 1991. Beginning in 2013, works were undertaken to construct six new up-to-date residential units along with education and administration buildings. The development of the site concluded in 2015. The three schools merged in June 2016 to become Oberstown Children Detention Campus, which is now the sole place of detention in Ireland for those under the age of 18.[6][7][8]
In 2016, a riot led to a major fire and the deployment of armed gardaí.[9][10]
In 2017, two offenders escaped after attacking a staff member with a crowbar. They were quickly recaptured.[11]
In May 2018, President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins visited Oberstown to present Gaisce awards to four young people. The young people also presented the President and his wife with portraits and had their Gaisce certificates signed by the President.[12]
In May 2020, "Boy A", one of the murderers of Ana Kriegel, was assaulted by other residents.[13]
Facilities
The deputy director describes it as "not a prison" and that residents are not prisoners, but "young people in conflict with the law."[9] Their model of care is built around "care, education, health, offending behaviour, and preparation for leaving."[14] There is one school on campus, the Oberstown Campus School, which offers a varied primary, secondary and vocational curriculum delivered by the Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board.[15][16]
About one-fifth of residents are Irish Travellers, while 71% have substance misuse issues.[17]
After release, residents return to their families or are placed in the care of the Child and Family Agency. Those serving long sentences are transferred to adult prisons at the age of 18+1⁄2.[9]
Notable residents
Due to laws protecting juvenile offenders, residents can in general not be publicly named.
- "Boy A" and "Boy B", teenage murderers of Ana Kriégel
- The murderer of Lorcan O'Reilly[18]
- Stephen Egan, murderer of Gary Douch[19][20][21]