Every summer the residents of Grangewood Estate, beside Marlay Park in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, are subjected to the antics of drunken people disturbing their peace after concerts staged at the park, according to local residents.
A section of the wall surrounding Marlay Park was knocked down about two years ago creating an exit from the park opposite Grangewood estate. A plywood gate was installed in the gap and is now used as an exit during concerts.
"As well as being an eyesore, girls and boys are coming out and urinating in the gardens of our estate. It's dreadful. They should never have put the exit at the top of our estate. After the concerts people use the whole of Grange Road as a toilet," says Grangewood resident Daphne Singleton.
Ms Singleton said residents would be in favour of revoking the liquor licence during concerts at the park. She said there was a lot of anger locally when part of the wall was knocked down as it was originally built during famine times.
A number of huge, old trees were also knocked down in order to improve access to the park for the concerts, she said, another move that proved unpopular with the residents.
Five concerts have been held in Marlay Park in the past 10 days, Ms Singleton pointed out. Following the Snow Patrol concert on Saturday young people were urinating in gardens "in broad daylight at about 8.30pm".
She added that there was not a problem with noise levels at the concerts or the subsequent clean-up operation. - Ali Bracken