Why Southside residents are opposing Marlay Park gigs

Dublin People 05 Jun 2015

Local residents who are opposed to concerts in Marlay Park are pictured near the site where the concerts will take place. Photo by Darren Kinsella

FED-UP residents living in the vicinity of Marlay Park in Rathfarnham say they want a total ban on gigs in the popular Southside amenity.

A series of summer concerts is about to get underway in the park, prompting a furious backlash from locals.

For Marlay 2015, there will be five concerts in total – two

‘standalone’ gigs and the Longitude Festival, which runs over three days. The concerts will take place between July 3 and 19 with a combined capacity of 135,000 people.

This is a reduction in the number of events staged for Marlay 2014 when there were eight concert days, including the Longitude Festival, which boasted a total capacity of 210,000 people.

However, despite the reduction in the scale of the series of concerts, and after several meetings between residents and members of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council since last year, there remains strong local opposition to the concerts.

Some locals claim the shows result in intolerable levels of noise pollution, traffic congestion, anti-social behaviour and disturbance to the park’s natural environment.

While some of them want a further reduction in the number of concerts or for the burden to be shared with other Southside parks, many others want a total ban.

Describing the park as

“a loved and valuable amenity

? for the past 40 years, Mary Coleman, who lives in Marley Grange, said local residents had tolerated two or three concerts a year, but that the jump to eight gigs last year was simply

“too much

“DLR themselves say the types of events given permission to take place in parks and open spaces include family fun days, sports days, charity walks and animal charity events and so on,

? she said.

“This is hardly comparable to a rock concert with 40,000 people going on for several days and until all hours.

Ms Coleman said that while some locals were calling for no more than three concerts to take place each year, many others would like to see an outright ban once this summer’s run is over.

Others would tolerate up to three concerts every second year and some have suggested that other parks in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown could be used on alternate years.

Residents from Rathfarnham, Ballinteer, Dundrum and Churchtown have now joined with some of the Marley market traders under the umbrella name South Dublin Protect Our Parks (SDPOP).

Speaking on behalf of SDPOP, Brian Murphy, who lives in the nearby Hermitage housing estate, said the park was

“like a war-zone for much of last summer

?, with half of the grounds inaccessible to other visitors.

“The sheer scale of last year’s concerts was outrageous,

? he said.

“Construction work started on June 19 and continued into August. There were eight days of concerts, including the three-day Longitude Festival, and on each of these days we were subjected to sound checks from as early as 10am.

Frances Murphy, a nurse who lives in Marley Grange, is concerned about the impact of the gigs on vulnerable members of the local community.

“Many residents feel intimidated by the large crowds and by the level of alcohol consumption and are afraid to leave their houses,

? she said.

“Many have bottles and cans thrown into their gardens and some have had to put up with people urinating and defecating in their gardens.

SDPOP members are also concerned about the impact on the park’s natural habitat and eco-system, saying it was

“outrageous

? that no environmental impact study had been carried out before and after the concerts.

“The park is home to foxes, squirrels, bats and many species of birds, which were nesting with young chicks during last summer’s concerts,

? said Ms Coleman.

“According to the council’s parks bye-laws 2003, it is not permitted to ill-treat, worry or disturb any animal in the park.

“It seems clear to us that 40,000 concert-goers each day and night presents a huge disturbance to the birds and animals that live in the park and this is quite unacceptable.

In a statement, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council outlined a series of measures that have been taken since last year to reduce the impact on locals.

These include a significant increase in security; extra fencing and barriers to deter concert-goers from accessing estates; free parking for private buses and coaches; and a

“robust communications plan

? between gardaÃ, professional security and stewards to ensure there is a rapid and effective response to incidents of anti-social behaviour outside the venue.

“A residents’ hotline will be set up,

? the council stated.

“The number will be issued to all residents to report any issues that arise on concert days.

“Toilets will also be provided outside the event on the Grange Road at locations to be agreed.

A comprehensive Traffic Management Plan is also being developed to ensure that concert-goers can access and exit the venue quickly and safely while still maintaining traffic flows for regular road users.

A dedicated off-site litter picking team will be augmented by the council’s own resources while noise levels will be strictly monitored throughout the concert period, according to the council.

“The stage has also been moved to give as much access as possible to visitors to the park and in particular to Marlay House, Boland’s Cafe and its environs,

? the council added.

“The new location for the stage avoids moving it during Longitude which helps to reduce disruption.