Couple land in hot water over level of jacuzzi noise

A ROW between neighbours about noise from jacuzzis bubbled over into a full-blown court case.

And now a Ring of Kerry couple, Stephen and Siobhán O’Sullivan, have been ordered to switch off fans in the ‘leisure area’ in their home.

Neighbours complained that the noise from the extractor fans and a heat pump used for two jacuzzis was keeping them awake.

Michael and Mary Coyle tried mediation with the O’Sullivans, their neighbours at Dunmaniheen, Killorglin, but that didn’t solve the dispute, nor did two referrals to An Bord Pleanála. Kerry’s Eye reported that the Coyles subsequently sued, saying that the noise of the fans kept Mrs Coyle awake at night. In a recent court hearing, she said that over Christmas she couldn’t sleep.

The Coyles said they had put in their own sound-proofing measures but that these failed to work.

Kerry County Council environmental department official Mick Boyce said he listened to the noise and described it as a ‘very faint, low hum’, with a low rumble every five to ten minutes.

The O’Sullivans said they put a timer on the power to ensure it switched off between 11pm and 8am.

District Court judge David Waters said he could not ask someone to switch off the heating pump. He instead decided the fans should be shut off from 8pm to 8am.