Council spurns bid to limit Marlay gigs

A MOTION to limit the number of concerts in Marlay Park to three a year failed to win support from local councillors at a recent Dundrum area committee meeting.
The idea to allow just three licences for concerts in the park from next year was tabled by Cllr Sorcha Nic Cormaic (SF).
Despite her failed motion, she said she welcomed wider consultation with those living near the park in lieu of reducing the number of dates to three. “I did get criticised for going a bit ‘Garth Brooks Dublin City Council’ with it but I was just trying to relay the concerns of my residents,” she said. “It was all too much for everybody this year; most people would be happy with three concerts.”
“It is obvious that the numbers have massively increased, which has compounded the problem.”
The park hosted eight nights of concerts over the summer, including the three-day Longitude Festival. There were 140 complaints made to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council in relation to the concerts. Traffic and general disruption in the area topped the list of concerns, with noise a close second. An extensive report was presented to the Dundrum Area Committee meeting at the request of several councillors. The report said the concerts were “an annual feature in the Marlay calendar for 14 years” and acknowledged a disruptive impact on residents. It also highlighted how the council tries to minimise the impact of the disruption.