The noise from Dublin Airport flights has become "unbearable" and "more constant" since the start of July, according to locals in North County Dublin.
In March of this year, Newstalk's chief reporter Barry Whyte spoke to locals living near the airport who said they could not sleep at night due to the noise from the North Runway.
Airport operator DAA responded to these complaints by promising they would amend the flight paths of planes taking off in this area.
On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Barry Whyte said homeowners now say that since the start of July, the noise has become "unbearable" and "more constant".
"There are now residents being impacted who have never been impacted before," he said.
'Torture'
Barry spoke to Leona Cantwell, a resident of Kilsallaghan, who said flights go over her house "every two minutes, every day".
"It's absolute torture ... it's just soul-destroying," she said.
"I'm suffering from severe mental health stress.
"My little girl is seven and she cries going to bed at night with the noise of the planes; we all have to wear earplugs in our house."
Passengers disembark from planes at Dublin Airport. Image: Phil Crean A / AlamyMs Cantwell said she makes complaints to DAA and Fingal County Council every day.
"The other day, I made about 53 complaints – no response at all," she said, "This is my husband's farm and he's lived here all his life, and he's never experienced anything like this."
Flight paths
Barry said most residents did expect a certain level of noise living so close to the airport, but changes in flight paths have meant the noise pollution is exceeding expectations.
"The noise is deafening the minute you step outside the house," according to local resident Niamh Maher.
"Like many people that would have moved to this area in recent years, we had absolutely no idea that this was going to be the case.
"We did know what the planning conditions were, where flight paths were meant to be and were advertised to be in accordance with the new North Runway.
"We were obviously under the impression that we would never be under a flight path. We knew we were going to be in the vicinity of planes, but not have them flying over our home.
"We would never have chosen to live under a flight path."
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Another resident, Alan Lynch, who moved to the area in June 2021, said he checked the DAA website before he moved to ensure he would not be living in proximity to the noise contours.
"We were able to clearly see that we were never supposed to be anywhere under a flight path," he said, "Of course, when the North Runway opened, then there were planes coming directly over the house."
"It caused a really stressful situation for us because there were no answers and there still are no answers."
DAA
Local councillor Joe Bonner said people have "lost faith in the authorities that are supposed to be protecting them".
"We've got situations where there's children playing in their gardens, coming in with their fingers in their ears crying in pain from the noise of the planes overhead," he said.
The DAA said "their community engagement team are engaging with homeowners who are impacted on an ongoing basis”.
Last year, there were a total of over 26,000 noise complaints made, but the DAA has not released the figures for this year.
Main image shows a split of Leona Cantwell and a plane taking off.
