A dozen Santas stood guard yesterday in the windows of the seaside house in Sutton which has become the talk of north Dublin over the Christmas period.
The unoccupied house, which boasts an impressive view of Dublin Bay from its back garden, has been decorated by its owner with 5,000 coloured bulbs and an array of nodding Santas of different shapes and sizes.
A sign covering the front entrance of the Dublin Road house features a young couple in silhouette holding hands and beseeching Santa: "All we want for Christmas is our planning permission". The sign adds: "Santa called but there was nobody home".
The front of the house is illuminated by spotlights on the lawn. Locals say the display was installed in a "very professional manner" over four days.
The owner of the house, Mr Paul Plunkett, would not comment yesterday on why he felt moved to create an array which one of his neighbours described as "on a par with Harrods in London".
However, a clue to his motive is posted on the main entrance in the form of a planning application to Fingal County Council for a "two-storey and roof extension to the rear" which would include a living/ kitchen area, a drawing room and a dormer bedroom. The notice also proposed a "new vehicular entrance" at the front of the house.
Neighbours said Mr Plunkett has been granted permission to extend it, but the decision is being appealed by a number of neighbours to An Bord Pleanala. They fear the extension will overshadow and overlook their homes.
"He has every right to extend his house, but the scale of the development is what we're objecting to." one neighbour said yesterday. However, speaking from his place of work yesterday, Mr Plunkett would not respond. "I've decided not to comment to the media because I don't want any public attention," he said.
