A chara, – I write to commend Jennifer O'Connell on her brilliant piece ("Conor McGregor, Crumlin and the Kinahans: an unrecognisable Dublin", irishtimes.com). Like many current residents of Dublin 12, I read the ESPN piece by Wright Thompson to which she refers half expecting to see Omar Little from the TV show The Wire walking down the street when I looked out my window. As O'Connell pointed out though, that fantasy world is far from reality.
It is fair to say that there is a drug issue in Dublin that affects all neighbourhoods in the city. It is also fair to say that both Crumlin and Drimnagh are heavily linked at times to ongoing drug feuds. The same, however, can be said of many areas in towns and cities all over the world.
Having moved to Drimnagh last year from Co Clare, I have been taken aback at the warmth of welcome I have received. Not too long after moving, I found myself playing hurling locally, invited into the local community and youth centre and even, with other local residents, starting a Tidy Drimnagh initiative.
Indeed, through the hurling club I have been involved in a couple of local derby games against Crumlin this year and am happy to report that not a single dirty stroke have I witnessed.
Like all areas in a major city, there have been some bad apples. But Dublin 12 has also given us the likes of Chief Justice Frank Clarke, Fintan O’Toole, Eamonn Coghlan, Rick O’Shea, Noel Pearson, Christy Browne, Patricia Cahill, Tom Dunne, Phil Lynott, Gemma Craven, Gabriel Byrne and Alan Dukes.
The narrative that continues about this historic corner of Dublin has remained negative for too long, even here in Ireland. It’s long beyond time that old stereotypes are dropped and people got to know the real Drimnagh and Crumlin; vibrant communities filled with everyday heroes that look out for one another and take pride of place in the part of the world they call home.
We've had enough of tabloid fantasies. It's great to see our daily reality reported on by The Irish Times, from the pen of Jennifer O'Connell. I'd encourage more people to come witness the joys of the area for themselves. – Is mise,
EOIN NEYLON,
Drimnagh,
Dublin 12.