Traders and residents are angry about people drinking on the streets of Temple Bar in Dublin.
As thousands of music lovers flock to Temple Bar for the annual Blues Festival, the celebrations have been overshadowed by growing anger among traders and residents about people drinking on the streets in one of Dublin's tourist landmarks.
The once dilapidated Temple Bar has now flourished into a thriving cultural quarter.
Residents say that during the summer months, the streets are packed with drinkers and after dark, the atmosphere can become intimidating.
Lorraine Benson of the Temple Bar Residents Association outlines some of the problems facing residents in the area.
There can be hundreds of people standing outside, sometimes in a drunken, disorderly state.
Ronan Gallagher, restaurant owner, says that the area should not be turned into what he calls "a publican’s paradise".
Publicans who repeatedly allow their customers to spill out onto the streets could have the licences revoked. The challenge for the area is to find a solution to the excessive outdoor drinking.
Noel Carroll of Dublin Corporation believes that regulation is essential if the area is to thrive as a cultural quarter.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 16 July 1995. The reporter is Tony Connelly.
