Sir, - We read in the Property pages of your paper of the demise of the Dalkey Island Hotel and its replacement with an exclusive apartment block as though it were already a fait accompli. It is only a matter of time until the eager and the rich can ensconce themselves in a private enclave that privatises and monopolises one of the most beautiful views along the whole of the east coast.
The Dalkey Island Hotel is a Regency villa dating back to the 1830s and its charm and character enhance the quaintness of Coliemore Harbour. Dalkey once boasted four hotels. The ShangriLa and Khyber Pass, both situated on the coastline, were knocked down and replaced by exclusive apartment blocks. Fortunately, the Cliff Castle had a preservation order or surely the same fate would have befallen it. Has Dalkey to sit back and passively watch itself slowly become an infill for modern apartment blocks along the coastline?
This, as a recent letter from two Italians pointed out, was how the destruction of the coastline of Italy started. Surely we should learn from others' mistakes. - Yours, etc.,
Dalkey, Co Dublin.