You just can't get parking in Dublin

Dartmouth square is a little park in Ranelagh, Dublin. It used to be owned by the Darley family and used by the public. But the Darley family sold it to a man called Noel O'Gara. And now he doesn't want it to be a park for people.

He was on Pat Kenny today saying that he wanted to turn it into a car park. He wants to provide a service to car-owners who can't get parking in the city centre ("like you Pat," he said). He claims his constitutional rights are being violated - it's his land and he can do what he wants with it. Our grandfathers fought the British for our freedom, so we could own the land, and any attempt to prevent this is illegal, he thinks. I'm writing from memory here, so I'm open to correction if I've misrepresented him.

Anyway, the council got a court order to stop O'Gara from paving over the park. So today he opened a Portable Tiles Showroom in the park. It is ugly. He is putting it up to the council, saying he can do what he likes. The council are now taking legal action on the basis that he is 'misusing' the park.

O'Gara's view that he can do what he likes with the park is nonsense. He tries to invoke history to prove his argument, but simultaneously ignores history - the park has been used by the public a 100 years. Is this worth nothing? Does tradition have no value in Ireland today? Thankfully it does, to judge by the council and public reaction.

O'Gara has no support and doesn't deserve any. Green areas and public space in Dublin are being swallowed up by opportunistic developers like O'Gara. There has to be a limit. People can't do what they like, where they like. The greater good, the public interest comes into this. Never mind parking our cars, we need somewhere to park our arses once in a while. These parks are finite. You don't see anybody buying land to develop it into lakes and playgrounds. So we must protect what we have now, or risk being left with nothing.