I moved here 18 years ago from a cottage in North Street and before that I had lived in Ballsbridge. People thought it was impossible for southsiders and northsiders to get on together but I've never been so happy. There is a real community in Marino that has been undisturbed since the 1920s. My house on Fairview Avenue was built in 1926. It's really beautiful here. I have two little semi-circular greens near me and at the end of the road, the larger green circle. It's great for children because it's never very far for somewhere to play and the place is coming down with schools - Charlie Haughey went to "Joey's" school in the middle of Fairview and the secondary schools are along Griffith Avenue. There are lots of little shops too, apart from a drapers.

The only major problem is the proposed tunnel. The people have a legitimate concern. It's not as if Marino is the only possible route for a tunnel. There are a lot of elderly folk living here who worry about their houses losing their value at the end of their days. There is a suggestion to put the tunnel under the canal or on the opposite side of Griffith Avenue where there is church-owned land without houses. To think they chose to go under 300 houses instead of land, where nobody would be worried about drilling is incredible.

It's very pleasant here. The houses are very well built and there is quite a variation of styles including the little Dutch houses. Most have good gardens and solid walls throughout. You could actually live here without going further afield. I wouldn't live anywhere else.