The High Court action over U2's PopMart concert at Lansdowne Road was aimed at the IRFU and not Ireland's biggest rock band, a resident said last night. The objection was to the IRFU "trying to run roughshod over the residents" and not to U2, said Mr Paul O'Reilly.
However, one of the stadium's closest neighbours, Ms Alma Carroll-Ryan, said she was horrified at the court action and was in favour of the concerts going ahead.
Mr O'Reilly said of the decision last night: "Our main objection was not the concert itself. Everyone wants to listen to U2. The objection was at the IRFU running roughshod over the residents.
"It could be any band playing here as far as we are concerned. We had Celine Dion a month ago and we had the four club soccer tournament and there seems to be more and more happening at Lansdowne Road.
"Obviously they will have soccer and rugby matches, but it's not a rock venue. The IRFU are just out to make as much money as they can and to hell with the residents."
Ms Carroll-Ryan described the High Court action as "totally over the top". If adequate security was provided by the IRFU around the stadium she was totally in favour of the U2 concert going ahead.
"No matter what concert you have, you will have hassle which you would not have on the normal day.
"But on this occasion, with U2's homecoming, as long as I have good security at the front and back of the house, I would have no objections at all. "I thought everybody was so pleased to see U2 having a concert. First people were saying U2 weren't giving anything back to the fans and now there are objections."
Ms Carroll-Ryan said that concerts by Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Choirs of the World, had been successfully staged at Lansdowne Road without objections from residents.