Why did the Dublin to New York City portal shut down? Will it open again?

For a short time, people in New York City and Dublin, Ireland, could see each other through a small portal in the center of both major cities. Though the portal did not allow those on each side to communicate through words, it became evident that words were unnecessary to send grotesque messages. The video posted below shows one incident where spectators in Dublin present those in New York City with images of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

The New York City portal was the third to be installed. The project dates back to 2016, when the creator, Lithuanian artist and entrepreneur Benedict Gylys, first imagined connecting people in different physical locations. The first two portals were installed in May 2021 in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and Lublin, a city in Poland.

New York City shuts down the portal

One of the main differences with the Dublin/New York City portal was that it was a live stream rather than a series of recorded videos from each side of the telecommunications system.

Though the live-streaming feature has resulted in the project between Dublin and New York City being shut down, many incidents showcased the project’s heart and aim. In one of the videos reported on X by the Portals organization, a person in Dublin is seen showing their traditional dance to those viewing on the other side of the Atlantic.

In just under a week, the Portals, seen in the video above, were shut down. Though the decision was made temporarily, no announcement has been made about when the gadget will be brought back online. The organization that put the Portals in place has not updated its website since the decision was made to turn them off and has not released any statements about the incident.