Dalkey residents feel like ‘Palestinians trapped in Gaza’ due to traffic management, local driver tells meeting
Most people present immediately registered their disapproval at the remark
A view of Dalkey Island from Coliemore Harbour in Dalkey. Photo: Getty Images
Fionnán Sheahan
Today at 12:32
Residents of Dalkey feel like “Palestinians trapped in Gaza” because they can’t drive anywhere, a local from the affluent Dublin suburb has claimed.
The coastal village is one of the most upmarket parts of the southside of the capital, with millionaire inhabitants including Bono, The Edge, Neil Jordan and Enya.
The salubrious district is not a strip of land under siege from land, air and sea. Nor is it under continual bombardment from missiles.
But the proliferation of pedestrianisation, cycle lanes and closure of road access is causing consternation locally.
A heated debate ensued at a meeting on plans to advance a scheme to make the area around Dun Laoghaire town better for walkers and cyclists, to the detriment of motorists.
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There was standing room only at a packed meeting about the Living Streets Initiative at the Eblana Club in Dun Laoghaire.
Several people at the meeting referenced the unpopular utterance of an unnamed local man, who said “residents of the town feel like the Palestinians trapped in Gaza as we can’t drive our cars".
The comment was made by a well-dressed man in his 50s, who was booed and shouted down by others present.
He was complaining about traffic restrictions introduced in the area in recent years.
The room booed at him and people told him it was completely wrong
Another local resident, Sarah Hynes, was In strong disagreement with the man. She responded to him by saying: "No, Dalkey residents are not like Gaza. They are nothing like Gaza residents. No they are not.”
Another local at the meeting, Darragh Cassidy, said the man’s view was “the most ridiculous comment of the evening”.
Fine Gael councillor Lorraine Hall said everyone else present at the meeting made it clear nobody agreed with his view. She said he lost the room the minute he made the comparison and people were appalled.
"This comment was completely inappropriate and totally out of order. The room booed at him and people told him it was completely wrong. He didn’t get to continue his comments,” she said.
Under the plan, the local council want to pedestrianise part of one of the main streets going through Dun Laoghaire and restrict access from a road coming from the adjoining suburb of Dalkey.
The move will incentivise walking and cycling and stop traffic coming through. The number of car-parking spots in the area will also be reduced.
Dalkey is well served by public transport, with a Dart station in the middle of the village and Dublin Bus routes.