Grand Canal Dock & Summer

Grevesey

Hi all. Getting involved late. I live in Charlotte Quay Dock and we have had a rwal prob with kids. It started with swimming but it has turned into something much more threatening and antisocial. CQ apts are private property but the jettys are the property of Waterways Ire and the 6inches of wall btw CQ property and the jetty is public land. So altho we can move them from private property, once they are on the jettys, we can't touch them. We have had to pay for extra security (at considerable expense) and deal with nudity, noise, urination on our property, litter, noise and most recently drug use and vandslism on our property We are now looking into fencing the entire area off so they have no access to the jetty area. It started out as innocent swimming and now it has become a monster that everybody is unhappy with... ..and the main owner who should be doing something....Waterways Ireland, cldnt give less of a ****.I think all the residents and businesses in the area shld get together and petition the local TDs....the law prevents anybody from tpuching these kids.. ridiculous.

Cienciano

Judgement Day wrote: »

You sound like some official in Rio de Janeiro who wants to tidy away the natives ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games. If you choose to live in the Inner City this is what to expect - sorry if I'm wrong but you don't sound like you're originally from the area. Unless the useless government decides to create some 'real' employment in the inner city and raise everybody's standard of living nothing will change. Planting gated communities apartment blocks in the middle of a ghetto is asking for trouble unless you shift all the existing population to some far flung dumping ground like Darndale or Coolock.

I don't think anyone has a problem with the locals, it's knacker behaviour that's the problem. Lots of people from inner city dublin or west dublin estates behave normal, don't shout at people, don't leave rubbish behind.

yoginindublin

Grevesey wrote: »

Hi all. Getting involved late. I live in Charlotte Quay Dock and we have had a rwal prob with kids. It started with swimming but it has turned into something much more threatening and antisocial. CQ apts are private property but the jettys are the property of Waterways Ire and the 6inches of wall btw CQ property and the jetty is public land. So altho we can move them from private property, once they are on the jettys, we can't touch them. We have had to pay for extra security (at considerable expense) and deal with nudity, noise, urination on our property, litter, noise and most recently drug use and vandslism on our property We are now looking into fencing the entire area off so they have no access to the jetty area. It started out as innocent swimming and now it has become a monster that everybody is unhappy with... ..and the main owner who should be doing something....Waterways Ireland, cldnt give less of a ****.I think all the residents and businesses in the area shld get together and petition the local TDs....the law prevents anybody from tpuching these kids.. ridiculous.

Did the Garda not do anything to help?

Grevesey

The police in fairness did increase their patrols but the kids simply behave impeccably whilst the Gardaí are about and move off the private property and the police just seem happy to have them on the jetty area. Unless they actually catch them red-handed in anti-social or criminal behaviour they seem reluctant to actually clear them altogether. So as soon as they go off again, the kids revert to the feral and anti0-social behaviour again - we have 2 emergency fire stairwells that are absolutely flooded with urine, drugs paraphernalia etc on our property and nobody seems capable of catching them at it. We have a security guard out there from 3-2am and he still seems to miraculously miss this behaviour. Even Waterways Ireland don't care - we have suggested paying for a temporary barricade btw the jetty and our property and WI have said we cannot - even though not a single boat has been moored on those jetties for months and months. None of the usual agencies care because nobody actually lives here and has to put up with it all. Personally I think somebody will have to drown before somebody bothers to do anything. In the meantime, the residents and local businesses will just have to stump up money and work within the law. There go the already depressed house-prices round here then. Nice one. Because nobody nipped this in the bud early, a monster has been created and we all have to live with the consequences. I am beyond angry about it all. We call the gardai around 4 times a day.

McDave

Grevesey wrote: »

Hi all. Getting involved late. I live in Charlotte Quay Dock and we have had a rwal prob with kids. It started with swimming but it has turned into something much more threatening and antisocial. CQ apts are private property but the jettys are the property of Waterways Ire and the 6inches of wall btw CQ property and the jetty is public land. So altho we can move them from private property, once they are on the jettys, we can't touch them. We have had to pay for extra security (at considerable expense) and deal with nudity, noise, urination on our property, litter, noise and most recently drug use and vandslism on our property We are now looking into fencing the entire area off so they have no access to the jetty area. It started out as innocent swimming and now it has become a monster that everybody is unhappy with... ..and the main owner who should be doing something....Waterways Ireland, cldnt give less of a ****.I think all the residents and businesses in the area shld get together and petition the local TDs....the law prevents anybody from tpuching these kids.. ridiculous.

I feel sorry for anyone who has invested in this area, either in business or as residents. A lot of planning and money has gone into the very attractive GCD area, and it risks being squandered by typical official indifference and an inability to take firm and decisive action. This mirrors a similar problem on the north side of the river with the IFSC area.

Ultimately it's not a problem caused by the majority of the communities which lived there prior to the regenerations, but is IMO down to the inability of public authorities, including law enforcement to deal with with messers and downright knackers who spoil things for *all* concerned.

Regrettably, I have to say I despair at how malign elements of our communities are continually allowed to dump all over others with relative impunity. It's a sad indictment of our values and our unwillingness to face problems head on.

yoginindublin

What about the management company for the apartments. Do they not do anything?

markpb

yoginindublin wrote: »

What about the management company for the apartments. Do they not do anything?

What can they do? They just manage the building, anti social behaviour can only really be fixed by the Gardai.

Fridge

They're going to do whatever they want to get away with it.

The Guards don't like to deal with people like that, we all know it, they'd rather hassle someone about a tax disc that won't give them trouble.

We need a vigilante army to punish them and their parents.

There's no other solution.

boombang

I think there is a real need to moderate the behaviour in some way.

I live near GCD and the other weekend a 15 girl threw a bottle of wine across spar at a friend of hers, which smashed to pieces at my feet, splashing me with red wine. I was not impressed. There seems to be a very low expectation of behaviour among the young in at least some of the local working class community.

dfx-

Has the behaviour improved now with the worsening weather..

MrVestek

dfx- wrote: »

Has the behaviour improved now with the worsening weather..

I work in the area and it usually kicks off at around 12 so we'll see...

Grevesey

We just got a reply from Waterways Ireland about what exactly they were doing in terms of affirmative action on this issue that is happening on their property (especially outside Ocean Bar/CQ) - their reply? Nothing we can do - call the Gardaí

A cop out - and I agree with everyone here who has said we are tolerating a namby-pamby 'can't touch 'em' attitude towards these kids - they are not respecting the law - why on earth should we be manacled by it??

I am at the point now where land-mining the jetty area or simply dressing in a ninja outfit and cutting the jetties adrift in the middle of the night might be the only answer. The nuisance has reduced in the rainy weather but the next 2-3 weeks after this week are forecast to be warm and sunny again so I am expecting it all to happen again.

What is wrong with these people?? Why won't anybody do anything? The Gardaí do not have the resources, the legal ability nor the duty to hang about 24/7 around GCD stopping entry to GCD for anyone under 17 or who looks a bit dodgy - and neither do we - but we can surely take away the access to the areas they want to congregate temporarily so we 'break the cycle'.......

yoginindublin

I dont understand why the Garda and Waterways cannot do anything since it is illegal to swim in the canal. Perhaps a talk with the TD? Anyone know how to go about this? If there is a petition I am in, just let me know!

MrVestek

It's because children under a certain age can't really be touched by the law in this country and they know it well.

Grevesey

yoginindublin wrote: »

I dont understand why the Garda and Waterways cannot do anything since it is illegal to swim in the canal. Perhaps a talk with the TD? Anyone know how to go about this? If there is a petition I am in, just let me know!

Hi all - The local Labour TD, Kevin Humphries is very responsive and usually has great contacts across all the agencies in the area - he also used to be a member of the Dublin Docklands Assoc and has a seat on the Dublin Corporation so he is well connected. His email address is :

Kevin.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie

If enough people contact him, he will see the depth of the problem and I think he would be very keen to do something.

Capricorn82

Living GCD too and the situation is not acceptable any longer.
Probably we all should send an email to the proper authority in order to fix the problem.
I use to goo drinking in CQD after work but now I will not walk there...
Why resident do not ask for a Garda to be there like they did in Hannover Quay??

Capricorn82

btw...what the management company of the building are doing to fix it?

Grevesey

Capricorn82 wrote: »

Living GCD too and the situation is not acceptable any longer.
Probably we all should send an email to the proper authority in order to fix the problem.
I use to goo drinking in CQD after work but now I will not walk there...
Why resident do not ask for a Garda to be there like they did in Hannover Quay??

The CQ corner is policed by Irishtown Gardai and the opp side by the theatre is policed by Pearse St gardai....neither have the resources to be there 24/7 and Irishtown Gardai don't have enough cops to devote to CQ... which I do inderstand. The two Gardai stns are not co-ordinating with each other enough. So this is part of the problem. But also, they are also constrained by the limitations/interpretation of the law...

Capricorn82

Grand Canal Square is a public square but I do not get why the building around do not close their private area for a while!
I mean street can be closed why not development?
I rent there so no much power but why Landlords or owners/resident do not get to their management in order to close the footpaths??
Once this kind of kids find a social gathering point it is nearly impossible to send them away...It is even nicer for them to go to a park...

Grevesey

Capricorn82 wrote: »

Grand Canal Square is a public square but I do not get why the building around do not close their private area for a while!
I mean street can be closed why not development?
I rent there so no much power but why Landlords or owners/resident do not get to their management in order to close the footpaths??
Once this kind of kids find a social gathering point it is nearly impossible to send them away...It is even nicer for them to go to a park...

We tried that. Was told we were not allowed to block public footpaths so are unable to put up barriers which we asked for. Believe me, we have explored every avenue both via the management co and by direct contact with agencies and council etc. Running out of the obvious options cos of red tape!

Capricorn82

Technically people can walk trough private but cannot stop....
I do not think it is not possible to close a private footpaths if the security or the peace of the residents is a risk
I mean they do not care about social behaviour they will be so "quick" if you guys close for a while a footpath....???
Just get rid of the public part attach to you private footpath!:) can you do that???or get some security like the guys in the LUAS..huge and scary

Mr Whirly

Here's a decent video about the goings on down around Grand Canal.

http://vimeo.com/75025182

tastestory

Hi, I'm reading this thread almost from a decade ago. I wonder if the situation gets better or worse now? Strange enough, I've been living in this area for almost 4 years but never felt slightly annoyed. Maybe it's just my insensitive nerve... or maybe it's because I mostly work from home and seldom go out in the past two years due to the pandemic... Anyway, now when I consider buying an apartment in this area, I need to be more sensitive to such issues because other buyers may care if one day I need to sell the apartment.