Kildare singer was locked inside church as Dublin city centre burned outside

A Kildare singer/songwriter was forced to close the doors of a church where she was performing as rioters turned Dublin city centre into a blazing no go zone.

Sina Theil was inside the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at City Quay on the docklands.

The Naas-based performer was working on a new single, ironically titled “Let There Be Peace (this Christmas), as vehicles including a tram and a bus were set ablaze and some well known stores were looted.

“We were shooting the music video for the song in the church and as I was singing the lyric ‘let there be peace’ all of a sudden we could hear sirens, helicopters and we could even smell the smoke.”

Sina, who was born in Germany, added: “We were shocked when we discovered that while myself and dancer Roisín Lyons were performing an anthem of peace, outside and within walking distance, Dublin city centre was up in flames.”

She said they locked the doors of the building and hoped for the best.

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”It felt surreal to be here at this beautiful church, filming a song about peace; singing over the sirens and commotion. It felt bigger than us, live were performing the song out to the violence torn city praying for peace and for the horror to stop. I myself used to busk on the streets of Dublin, so it broke my heart to realise what was happening.”

Luckily the group even finally emerged none the worse for the experience.

The upside his that Sina’s song has reached the top position in the main Irish charts and also Irish country charts today.

Tina is meanwhile looking forward to 2024 when she will embark on a tour of sixty performances as special guest of  Dan McCabe, another singer from Naas.