Dublin to New York City Portal Temporarily Shut Down Due to Inappropriate Behavior

A portal linking New York City to Dublin via a livestream has been temporarily shut down after inappropriate behavior ensued, according to the Dublin City Council. 

Less than a week after the 24/7 visual art installation was put in place, officials have opted to close it down temporarily after people began to flash each other, grind on the portal, and one person even shared pictures of the twin tower attack to people in New York City. Alternatively, the portal had also been the site of reunions with old friends and even a proposal, with many documenting their experience with the installation online. 

The Dublin City Council said that although those engaged in the inappropriate behavior were few and far between, videos of said behavior went viral online. 

"While we cannot control all of these actions, we are implementing some technical solutions to address this and these will go live in the next 24 hours," the council said in a Monday statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days with our partners in New York to ensure that portals continue to deliver a positive experience for both cities and the world.”

The New York City portal is next to the Flatiron Building while Dublin’s is at the crux of North Earl Street and O’Connell Street.  

What is the portal?

The portal was launched on May 8 as a way to bring people together via technology. 

“Portals are an invitation to meet people above borders and differences and to experience our world as it really is—united and one,” said Benediktas Gylys, the Lithuanian artist and founder of The Portal. “The livestream provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures, transcend geographical boundaries, and embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness.”

The Dublin portal is set to connect with other cities and destinations in Poland, Brazil, and Lithuania, the Dublin City Council said in a May 8 press release. The connection with New York City is expected to remain through autumn, with additional cultural performances starting in mid-May.