Residents living beside the proposed Spencer Dock development were "incensed" at remarks by one of the developers, Mr Harry Crosbie, that they "eat their young," the Bord Pleanala hearing was told yesterday.
Mr Gerry Fay, a Sheriff Street resident and member of the North Wall Community Association, said Mr Crosbie made this remark on RTE's Late Late Show last year when he was discussing the proposed development.
"Mr Crosbie brought slides showing the Spencer Dock area in a negative fashion and said there was a perception that `they eat their young down there' . . . That remark acted as a catalyst and incensed the communities," he said. Mr Joe Mooney, of the East Wall Residents' Association, said last April's edition of his association's monthly newsletter had described Mr Crosbie's comments as "black propaganda of the most sinister kind".
Following its publication, Mr Crosbie sent a letter to a number of houses in East Wall stating that the newsletter appeared to be "designed to orchestrate animosity towards me personally", said Mr Mooney.
In his letter, Mr Crosbie said he had not mentioned East Wall on The Late Late Show. "I neither said nor implied that anyone was stupid. East Wall is a settled, respectable and thriving community as everybody knows," the letter stated.
"Both my father and my grandfather come from the area. I sincerely apologise to the people of East Wall if anyone took offence from an innocent and throwaway remark on TV. No offence was intended . . ."
The association's June newsletter contained a reply to Mr Crosbie's letter. It said if residents wanted to orchestrate animosity towards Mr Crosbie "we'd put you on prime time TV and ask you to promote a development within an area where there is 100 per cent opposition. We'd then allow you to insult and belittle the local communities."
Mr Mooney said Mr Crosbie's additional remark on the show that "this is the future - that's what people are afraid of" was also important, as it was "designed to undermine our opinions and to imply that we wouldn't know any better".