"IT has the Las Vegas connection. There will be women laid on in the casino like peanuts in a bar. But I'm delighted it has got through."
Bill Delaney, an architect and former planner, lives in Castleknock Park near the proposed £400 million Sonas Centre. He believes the project will provide thousands of jobs, desperately needed in west Dublin.
Like hundreds of other concerned residents he attended the five day hearing on the proposal, but his reaction to yesterday's planning verdict was at variance with most in the area.
"The centre is needed," he said. "It is needed to get young people off the streets. This is just a concrete jungle at the moment. We need these facilities. It will be good for businesses in the area.
The largest casino in Europe, a 63,000 seat stadium and leisure complex were yesterday given the go ahead despite the objections of 21,000 residents. And there was a mood of anger and frustration yesterday evening as local people realised their campaign had failed.
"It's depressing," said Harry Shiels, who has campaigned against the project for the last 21 months. "Yesterday Bord Pleanala refused planning permission to a £20 million plan for a shopping centre, houses, and apartments in Bray, because of the sheer size of the project and its impact on the area. Today they grant permission to something that will be at least 10 times bigger.
"It's a scandalous decision. What kind of impact do they think bringing 65,000 people into a residential area is going to have? The social grief the casino will bring alone is immense," he said.
Residents spent £60,000 commissioning a study of the effects of such a centre. The casino will bring prostitution, drug abuse, vandalism and crime, they insisted. "It has done so all over the world. Why should we be any different?"
Maura O'Sullivan, a mother of two, was particularly concerned about the traffic chaos she believes will be inevitable.
"We will be prisoners in our own homes," she said.
Even the young people roller blading around the plush estates of Chesterfield believed the centre will be "useless". "There will be traffic congestion, drugs, alcohol, house break ins and beggars," said 12 year old Owen McGowan. His friends all agree.