A District Court Judge will inspect Dicey's nightclub after residents living nearby objected to their special exemption license which allows them to serve late night alcohol.
Judge Marie Quirke previously ordered the famous Harcourt Street venue to lower the decibel level of their speakers in outdoor areas. However, the residents, who mostly live in O'Carroll's Villas which are a two-minute walk from the back of Dicey's, complained the noise was "much the same" and accused the nightclub of "playing games" since the order at a hearing on Wednesday.
This was disputed by sound expert Jim Dunne who said there was a "negligible difference" of noise in the homes of the residents when the city centre nightclub was open. Mr Dunne carried out a number of tests in the homes of some of the residents since the order to lower the music.
"We didn't hear any music in the recordings", he told the court. However, Geraldine Collins, who lives in O'Carroll's Villas near the nightclub, said the testing was carried out in a number of the homes on a single night when "Dicey's music was way down".
Read more: Locals object to popular nightclub's late licence application over noise
Mr Dunne listed a number of "potential explanations" for neighbours being disturbed. They included "low frequency bass energy", which is a common in dance music, shooting up into the atmosphere and being "redirected back down into a remote area" as well as wind carrying the music.
Under Judge Marie Quirke previous order, the speakers in outdoor areas of the nightclub had to be limited to 85 decibels. The Judge asked if these speakers could be further lowered further independent of the other speakers.
"They are all independent", Mr Dunne said. The Judge then asked if the levels could be reduced in a specific area if she "booked an area for a 60th birthday party".
"I don't think you would be going there, Judge," Mr Dunne responded. "I might", she said.
The residents also questioned whether the outdoor area of the nightclub has the relevant planning permissions. The Barrister for Triglen Limited said she presumed it does but could not say for certain.
The Judge concluded she would conduct a site inspection and consider the planning permissions before another sitting takes place in a fortnight.
"I want to see it when they are not disco dancing", the Judge told the court. "I may need to see it in operation as well."
The solicitor for Dicey's said it may take longer than two weeks to get the planning permissions as the architect that drew them up is dead and the planning office may not have the permissions any more.
The residents previously complained they couldn't sleep at night due to the "thump, thump, thump" music coming from the beer garden of the venue which trades as the Russell Court Hotel under the name Triglen Holdings Limited.
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
