Sir, - Thousands of Garth Brooks fans have just enjoyed three spectacular concerts in Croke Park, resplendent with helicopters and light shows and film crews recording the event. Thousands of local residents, many elderly, have just endured a weekend imprisoned in their homes, our residential area crammed with illegally parked. cars blocking access to emergency vehicles, and crowds drinking on pavements. We have just personally confronted one of the many drunk people urinating against the gates, doors and walls of local houses, to be cheerfuly told that he is "washing the door for them".
Ironically, this was an improvement on what happens at regular Croke Park events. Based on priorities agreed between local residents and the gardai, some of the most dangerously parked cars were impounded and a large mobile burger van was prevented from illegally trading. However, the gardai on the day are severely under-resourced and have no effective powers to prevent illegal parking attendants from extorting money from car drivers.
Croke Park match days are joyful occasions, and an important part of the cultural tradition of the Irish people. These celebrations should be conducted with consideration of their impact on the lives of local residents. The Districts of Croke Park Residents Rights Group is a new joint action group of residents' associations,, seeking to balance the rights and interests of GAA supporters and local residents on Croke Park match days.
In particular we ask the GAA as the organisation responsible for bringing thousands of people into our locality on a regular basis, to be sensitive to the parallels of principle with Drumcree and elsewhere, where local residents are insisting that their consent be negotiated if large numbers of outside people are to parade through their streets.
We fully support the rights of concert-goers and GAA supporters to enjoy and celebrate events in Croke Park. We hope that together we can agree a way of balancing these rights and interests with our rights and interests as local residents. - Yours etc.,
Chairperson and Campaign Coordinator Districts of Croke Park Residents' Rights Group, Dargle Road, Dublin 9