The Italian edition of Marie Claire magazine has come under fire from Ballymun residents after it described the area as the "Bronx of Ireland".
In an article called ‘Return to Ballymun’, the magazine quoted a number of Ballymun residents from 2011 saying people living there were ashamed to give their address. It also compared the area to the dystopian crime-ridden future metropolis in the science fiction film Blade Runner.
Since the article’s publication last week, a number of people cited in the article have told local Labour TD John Lyons that they were not accurately quoted. The man who is quoted as comparing Ballymun to Blade Runner told the TD he has never even seen the film.
Mr Lyons said he was disappointed and annoyed at the article, which he claimed borrowed heavily from outdated stereotypes.
"This is very hurtful to people like myself who call Ballymun home and it's damaging for the image of the area. While I welcome the magazine's interest in Ballymun and the story of the successful regeneration project, reverting to stereotypes and inventing quotations only undermines all that has been achieved,” he said. “You have to remember that that’s people’s lives, it’s their communities. It’s where they grew up.”
Mr Lyons is currently waiting to hear whether Ballymun has been accepted to a youth guarantee pilot scheme, which would make efforts to tackle high youth unemployment rates. The results are expected this month.