Where have common decency and respect gone?
Dear Madam,
As a resident in Virginia in my early 80s, I wish to bring to your attention anti-social behaviour in the town during Virginia Pumpkin Festival. I do not want to be named publicly but I live close to the main street and I want to show the other side of the coin.
During the festival, a couple had sex outside my front garden. Another person urinated against my wall. I rang gardai on two occasions during the festival to complain.
The noise from the marquee was excessive, and my house was vibrating with it. My nerves have been shattered.
Where have common decency and respect gone?
Name and address with editor
Response from festival committee
Meanwhile, the committee responsible for organising the Virginia Pumpkin Festival sent us the following statement in response:
The Virginia Pumpkin Festival committee works closely with the Gardaí and the local community to ensure that noise levels and disruption to the town are kept to a minimum at all times during the festival.
We have a noise policy in place and always encourage festival goers to be mindful of noise, particularly late at night. We were extremely disappointed to hear about this isolated incident that occurred but believe that the people involved are in the minority and the majority of festival goers abide by the rules.
The festival is now in its fifth year has and been well received both in the local community and at a national level with large numbers of people travelling from across the country and further afield for the festival each year.
Over the past five years, the festival has generated significant income for local businesses in the area and has helped bring new visitors to the town in a time where local businesses are struggling.
We have worked hard to build a strong national profile for the town and the festival is now recognised as one of the leading events in the country for the October bank holiday weekend.
We have been extremely gratified to receive a lot of positive feedback in relation to this year's festival and recognition for all the time and effort which is involved in hosting a festival of this size.
As we do every year, we will review the festival and its operations and will take this isolated incident into account.
For more of your letters this week, see The Anglo-Celt newspaper.
Post a Comment