A man whose late-night organ-playing made his neighbours' lives unbearable was ordered yesterday to abate the nuisance or face a possible 12-month prison sentence.
Paul Lynch failed to appear in court to answer a summons for noise pollution issued by two neighbours, Ms Brenda Murray and Ms Justine Power, who live on either side of him in a town-house development called Stratford Haven, Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin.
Ms Murray and Ms Power told Dublin District Court their peace had been destroyed by Mr Lynch holding parties, playing an electric organ and leaving radios blaring 24 hours a day for up to a week.
A temporary order had been made last July ordering him to keep noise levels down. Since then he had put a number of garbled handwritten letters into Ms Murray's home apologising and saying the noise would stop. But, said Ms Murray, it usually started again very soon afterwards.
Judge James McNulty said it was obvious his behaviour was having a serious detrimental affect on his neighbours. He ordered that the noise be stopped immediately.
He said the complainants would be entitled to apply to the court again if there was a breach and Mr Lynch could be fined or face up to 12 months' imprisonment.