Dublin-NY portal users 'ruining fun for everyone'

The portal, pictured here from New York City, has been temporarily suspended

Dubliners have been expressing annoyance over the temporary suspension of a live video "portal" between the city and New York.

The continuous live stream, which allows users in each city to see each other and interact, was switched off on Tuesday night due to "inappropriate behaviour".

On Wednesday, a message on the blank screen stated: “Portal is asleep - back up soon”.

Incidents, which have been shared extensively across social media platforms, involved users "mooning", displaying swearwords, and flashing various body parts.

One Dublin user displayed a video of the 9/11 attacks in New York.

• A 'small minority' ruining Dublin Portal experience

• Dublin-NY portal temporarily shut

The artist behind the art installation, Benediktas Gylys, has appealed for "family friendly" behaviour from visitors.

"I think everyone should think of a seven-year-old child that is in New York that wants to experience and that wants to connect to Dublin and wave to people there," Mr Gylys told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

"So that was my only request for the lovely people of Ireland."

Lucy Sky Moore O’Gorman says there has been some "disgraceful behaviour" at the portal

Speaking beside the installation, Lucy Sky Moore O’Gorman told BBC News NI that there had been "disgraceful behaviour" from a minority of users.

“There’s no need for it, it’s just ruining the fun for everyone else," she said.

She had brought her younger sister to the portal and they were "very disappointed" to see it suspended.

"I’ve shown her the videos and she was very excited to see it and now she doesn’t believe it’s real at all," Ms O'Gorman added.

On Wednesday, a message on the installation stated: “Portal is asleep - back up soon”

Dublin City Council said it had hoped to have a solution in place by Wednesday, but the preferred solution, which would have involved blurring, was not satisfactory.

The team behind the project is currently trying to find a way to prevent any further interactions involving anti-social behaviour.

The council anticipates the portal will be restored later this week.

Describing the project as "a global phenomenon", the council also stressed that “the overwhelming majority of people" interacting with the installation had behaved appropriately.

In New York, promoters have also been addressing local problems after a woman "flashed" in front of the screen.

More staff and barriers have now been positioned at the site outside the Flatiron Building in Manhattan.