A former Miss Ireland, Ms Michelle Rocca, has told the High Court that a private driveway up to the Dalkey home she shares with singer Van Morrison poses a danger to her three teenage children because it is narrow and dark.
She was giving evidence in a case in which a couple who are neighbours of Mr Morrison are in dispute with the singer over his plans to widen and light the communal driveway.
Mr Morrison has been restrained since November last year from continuing to carry out works on the driveway which connects a number of properties on Sorrento Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin.
The injunction was granted to Alphonsus and Claudia O'Mara of Monte Alverno, Sorrento Road, who claim that Mr Morrison, of Kilross, Sorrento Road, is probhibited from carrying out the work because of his obligations under a deed of conveyance.
Ms Michelle Rocca told Mr Justice Kelly yesterday said she lived at Kilross with her three children. Her 11-year-old daughter went to school locally and they used the driveway a lot.
She described the communal driveway as a laneway which was very difficult to get up and down by car. They had therefore decided to widen it as it seemed the right thing to do.
Cars skidded on the driveway and there were also a number of potholes, she said. It was like a country lane and very narrow, and Mr Morrison's car had been damaged entering it. There also had been a few tyre blowouts.
"You have to take it at a wide angle, " she said.
She said one could not see up the driveway because of the vegetation.
There were no lights. Lights would give visibility for teenagers going up and down the drive.
Ms Rocca said there was a large hedge which affected visbility and had also scratched their car. "The driveway is very dangerous. We don't walk up and down it unless we have a torchlight. It wouldn't be safe for the young girls, " she said.
On one occasion, when a fire alarm had gone off, it emerged there was no way the fire brigade could get up the laneway.
Mr Chris Ryan, an architect, said the upper part of the driveway was narrow. Visibility was poor and vehicles could only travel at about 5 mph on it. He said the driveway was dangerous.
Earlier, the court heard planning permission for the widening of the road was granted at a later stage but this had been appealed to An Bord Pleanála. The board's decision was expected shortly.
The hearing continues today.