Sir, - I like living in the city and indeed chose to live here because of the hustle and bustle, the traffic, the hum . . . But normally there is an ebb and flow to the noise and at 2 a.m. it can be as quiet as a country churchyard. Not so recently, when Dame Street and Parliament Street once again became a film set for Jim Sheridan's The Boxer.
For three consecutive nights the action started about 7 p.m. and ended at 5 a.m., when the set was packed away, incredibly noisy generators and cranes were switched off and the crew and cast went home - to sleep, presumably. I, however, had to go to work each of these days having had only two hours' sleep, snatched between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. At mid-night my apartment was as bright as noon, because of the arc lights shining through my windows.
Of course I am delighted that Dublin is an important part of Ireland's thriving film industry, with its associated revenues and jobs. But if this disruption had occurred in a residential suburb, for example, surely notice would have been given to residents, advising them of the disruption and potential loss of sleep. As far as I am aware this courtesy was not afforded to residents of Dame Street and Parliament Streets. All the talk about establishing a residential community in Temple Bar is obviously just that. .. talk. - Yours. etc.
Parliament Street, Dublin 2.