Residents hit out at IRFU attitude to buying homes
But they hit out at what they claim is the high-handed manner in which the IRFU has approached a proposed deal. Residents say there will be no sell out unless the union changes its tune and ups the €200,000 on offer for each of the 16 terraced houses in Knockalisheen Road, Ballynanty.
Mike Tobin, a resident of six years, said: “When they are doing the big job on Lansdowne Road I doubt if they will treat their Dublin 4 neighbours like they have treated us.”
William McCarthy said: “They called us to a meeting in Thomond Park last July and set out their proposals. They then sent us a letter asking if we were interested in selling and I’d say everybody went along with the idea. But then they sent a letter offering €200,000, take it or leave it.”
Mr Tobin said residents don’t want to hold up development of Thomond Park and want rugby to remain there.
“But you would have to be suspicious at the whole way they have approached it. They sent around a young fellow to meet us and he spent about an hour. Each resident has an individual property and everyone has different needs. We told them from the start at the meeting in Thomond Park to deal with each of the 16 households individually, but they haven’t done that. You would have to question their motives and for so-called intelligent people they have backed themselves into a corner with this one offer.”
Jim Culhane, 68, has lived on the terrace for more than 50 years, longer than anyone else there.
He said: “I’d sell. But I would have to get a decent price. Where am I going to live if I move out? You won’t get anything comparable for €200,000.”
Most agree the IRFU will have to ratchet up their offer to €275,000 if they are to get down to serious talk.
Jim Loughman, aged 70, is in one of three houses in the terrace still owned by Limerick City Council.
“I understand that when the IRFU went to the council about these three houses, they were told to come back when they had done a deal with the owner residents. Moving might suit some better than others. I would consider moving if the council gave me a suitable alternative house.”
Mr McCarthy said his wife is very reluctant to consider moving.
He said: “She works down the road in her brother’s shop. My own feeling is the rugby union want to pull out of Thomond Park and want to use us as scapegoats for this decision. They’ll say we wanted to stay and build it up, but we weren’t allowed by the people living near the ground.”
Mr McCarthy, 49, who runs a local hackney service, said if the IRFU were really serious they would have sat down with the residents by now.
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