Sir, - It is interesting that the suggestions for an airport at Ringsend comes from citizens who do not live remotely near an airport. During the week in July 1996 when Dublin was honoured with the visit of a warship, the people of this area suffered noise abuse from the helicopters which were operating for a private company from our park, Sean Moore Park, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. We had to go inside our houses and close the doors to be able to hear or speak to each other. As well as that, we also await the new turbo-powered electricity generating station yet to come on stream and we have the relocation of a metal crushing and shredding plant into this residential area.
Yes, we have had numerous plans in the past for the further destruction of the area by suggestions which are either frivolous or avaricious. It is the fate of estuaries that they become the butt end of cities and many cities in Europe have lost their estuaries to the bottom range of "bright" ideas. Ask the people who live near Dublin airport about the noise - and there is fairly open countryside around that airport.
When such a suggestion comes from the people of the Pembroke area through their elected representatives we will have to consider it. It is now time for the concerned citizens of the area to keep a close eye on the suggestions of those who can only look at a map and see what appears to be an empty area to present it with some harebrained idea. These are the begrudgers of open areas, park land, farm land, sports fields, etc. Sean Moore Park and Ringsend Park were hard-won sport and amenity areas since Mr McAteer's pipe dream of the 1930s. - Yours, etc.,
Catherine Cavendish,
Marine Drive, Dublin 4.