GATE THE HELL OUT OF HERE..
Publican spends €20,000 to protect elderly residents in lane from addicts
To say we illegally put up a gate is extreme GARY O’REILLY YESTERDAY
A PUBLICAN erected a €20,000 gate to prevent drug addicts from using a laneway.
At least one complaint about the controversial move in Dublin’s north inner city has been made to the City Council.
And a local councillor has criticised the gate’s installation and claimed it is not the answer.
But publican Gary O’reilly of O’reilly’s Deers Head Pub on Parnell Street in Dublin insisted he and fed-up residents had to act.
He rejected suggestions that the gate could be illegal and stated that all the required proper paperwork was correctly submitted to the local authority.
Mr O’reilly said: “There have been rapes in that laneway, assaults, people found dead, drug use. You name it, it’s happened in that laneway. Over the years, we’ve been clearing it, picking the syringes out of it.
“People have been going to the toilet there [and] we clean that too.”
He added: “Me and our staff are putting [people] out of the lane on a daily basis and we’re getting all sorts of threats.
“The residents that are living in the laneway, a lot of older people, are coming into our staff to walk them to their houses. So enough is enough.”
The 1.8-metre-high gate was mounted in recent weeks amid consistent fears of persistent drug use, assault, and illegal dumping at the Parnell Place site.
Gary, who has had the pub for 18 years, contacted gardai and Dublin City Council for help.
He claimed elderly residents fear those who are taking drugs in the lane. The
publican believes he first contacted the local authority two years ago to begin the process of installing a gate.
Mr O’reilly understood he would not need planning permission if the gates were less than two metres high and that written letters from locals extinguishing their right of way at Parnell Place.
He said: “The council asked for paperwork to extinguish the right of way.
“That was sent to them on March 9, 2023. We put in everything we were asked for. We didn’t hear back, so as far as we were concerned the extinguishment was done and we could go ahead with the gates.”
However, a complaint has since been made and the council is now investigating.
Gary responded: “To say we illegally put up a gate is extreme when all we’ve done is followed the advice of Dublin City Council.”
The Council confirmed the complaint related to the “alleged closing of a lane by erecting an electric gate at Parnell Place, Dublin 1.”
A spokesperson said: “As this investigation is at a very early stage, and is ongoing, no further comment can be made relating to it at this time.”
Local Green Party Cllr Janet Horner said: “We know we have had problems of addiction and problems with violence and problems with people not having access to toilets when they need them.
“And that creates a very anti-social behaviour. These are all issues.
“But if we tackle the root cause, and it seems like we have given up and we no longer even believe we can tackle these issues, we can get serious and tackle the real systemic issues for our city.”