Seán Dunne claims 'snobs' blocked his Ballsbridge high-rise plans. Mary Minihanasked some residents if he's right
Amelda Burke, Clyde Road:"He [Mr Dunne] really has a cheek. That's all wrong. That's a no-no. It's not true. It's a nice, friendly area. I don't think there's anything snobbish about it. I suppose he had to say something.
“It’s wonderful that the development is not going ahead. I don’t know anybody who was for it – nobody I know.
“It would have ruined the whole ambience of the area and then there would be the extra traffic as well for the people living there.”
Steven Kelly, Heytesbury Lane:"I don't think that's true at all. I get made fun of myself because I'm from Ballsbridge. My friends call me a snob! They say: 'Ah man, you're from D4, you're from Ballsbridge, you must be a snob.' It's a bit of a cliche. I just laugh it off. Anyone I know in Ballsbridge is fine . . . I went to a public school around here, I didn't go to a private school or anything. I think Ross O'Carroll Kelly probably has a lot to answer for.
“Maybe he [Mr Dunne] is angry and he needs somebody to blame. Some of my neighbours were involved in the objections. They seem to be fine people.”
Chris Martin, Waterloo Road:"He [Mr Dunne] is probably right about that. I'd say, 'Spot on'. It's a very snobbish area.
“I’m thrilled it [the development] didn’t go through but I think there’s a certain degree of truth to that. There’s an old core and a lot of nouveau riche.
“So there’s a shred of truth in that. There is a snob thing there. I think a lot of people probably objected because of the personality involved.
“I like high-rise a lot. I lived in New York. It can work . . . At the docks [in Dublin] we had an opportunity to go a lot higher, and we should have gone higher. It’s all tentative development here. We take a safe approach.”
Sharon McKenna, Landsdowne Park:"There is absolutely not a snobbish element. It was a horrendous thing to say.
“Ballsbridge is a very exclusive area to live in. There are people who have lived here forever. There might be an older generation, but I don’t think they’d like to be called snobs. I see the same little old ladies walking their dogs. They’re not snobs, they’re residents . . .
“The beautiful thing about living in Ballsbridge is that you’re a resident but you’re also living close to town. We get our activity in town, we don’t want it in Ballsbridge.
“I just think he [Mr Dunne] is bitter. He thought he was King Kong.”