Problem with Viking Splash Tours

I live near the entrance to the Grand Canal Basin where the Viking Spash Tour "Ducks" enter the canal for the water part of their tour. Their waterways licence requires them to put their lifejackets on before they enter the gates of the basin and to remove them after they leave - therefore they park outside our apartments and on our cobblelock every day. As the tours are as frequent as every 1/2 hour from 9 to 6/7 daily their parking outside our apartments adds up. Each Duck spends approx. 5 mins before and after their dip into the Grand Canal basin – sometimes longer at busy times. They are big noisy vehicles, and add to that the shouting and cheering of the drivers and passengers as well as the fact that they are oblivious to the fact that they regularly block entry and exit to our private parking.

While I understand tourists and locals love the tour they are causing great annoyance to us as residents - a number of individuals have contacted Viking Spash Tours directly but to no avail.

Can anyone advise me as to who I should contact in an attempt to deal with this - I assume they must have a licence to run such an operation but I can't find any information about it. So basically I'm looking for advice as to whether I should be contacting local politicians, the guards or Dublin City Council - any advice would be appreciated.

Depending on the particular circumstances, the problem you describe could potentially constitute an actionable nuisance. Which if succesful would probably result in a compromise solution. A solcitor could advise you more fully on this. But, before going down that route, I would explore the issue with local politicians, they should be eager to help, afterall there is a general election due next year.

Just noticed an official Dublin Bus sign on the terminus bus stop in Hillcrest, Finglas, D11 instructing drivers that it is a residential area and while waiting to depart they should switch off the engine. Perhaps something similar is called for here? Perhaps if you approach contact the Viking Splash company (ideally with the backing of and on behalf of a number of residents or the householders' management company) and explain the problem to them then they would be cooperative in dealing with it? They may not realise that there is a problem at the moment! Have other residents mentioned the problem too? Probably best to at least start off with a diplomatic/reasonable approach to the company.

Thank you both for your replies. Viking Splash Tours have been contacted on a few occasions by individual residents but to no avail. One resident recently posted a letter through all the doors of the apartments to try and find out if more people were interested in doing something about the intrusion on our privacy and we are now attempting (through our management company) to let them know the negative impact they are having on the quality of our lives. Hopefully this time they won't ignore us.

I noticed one of those signs on a bus stop the other day - it was outside a large office building on the canal (between Leeson Street & Baggot Street).

I think I'll do some research into our local politicians, once again if we go to them as a group they should be interested in helping us, and of course our potential votes!

How about getting a group together to hand leaflets to the Viking customers asking them to ask management to be more considerate (the joys of open-sided vehicles, eh). Or picketing the Viking ticket office in town for a few hours?

What is the leglisation with regard to noise abatement?

Sorry about the time it takes me to reply but we are having internet access problems today - I think we wouldn't have a case as regards noise as it takes place during the day. As far as I know you can make as much noise as you like as long as it's between 8 in the morning and 12 at night.

As regards handing out leaflets perhaps we could attach signs, on the lampposts on our property, asking them for consideration for the local residents. Everyone on these tours are having a good time and I'm sure they have no idea what the locals have to put up with on a daily basis.

Even worse, when Dublin Corp changed the direction of traffic on Stephen's Green Viking Splash Tours ended up starting all their tour outside where I work - I get to hear them all day at work (they aren't as loud due to being across a wide road) and then at home!

jacobean said:

I think we wouldn't have a case as regards noise as it takes place during the day. As far as I know you can make as much noise as you like as long as it's between 8 in the morning and 12 at night.

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Don't think that's true. See .

Maybe you and your neighbours could get into the spirit of things by dressing up as Brian Boru and his men and hope for a more positive outcome this time!