Groups Gather in Support of Local Community at Kilconnell Superdump

galway | environment | news report

Tuesday October 25, 2005 10:39

by Ciaran Hughes

ciaran_hughes at yahoo dot co dot uk

Caherawoneen, Kinvara, County Galway.

087-9652992.

Groups gather for guided tour of landfill site

Members of the Shell to Sea/Rossport Solidarity Camp, Galway for a Safe Environment and the Woodland League gathered at the site of the proposed landfill at Killaghmore, Kilconnell, East Galway.

They were treated to a guided tour of the dump by members of the local community.

Damage to a Native Woodland: Greenstar have a felling license to fell just 35 broadleaves

On Saturday the 22nd of October, several people from Shell to Sea/Rossport Solidarity Camp, Galway for a Safe Environment and The Woodland League gathered at the site of the proposed Greenstar landfill site for a tour of the site, guided by several people from the local community.

For an unknown reason, security on-site was at an unprecedented level. Up until now, security at the site has consisted of one to two people. On the day of the gathering, there were 24 security men from Secure-All Security (the company that looks after security on-site) and two Garda squad cars.

Initially, the group requested access to the site through the main entrance, but were refused by the on-site security. This was not argued. Brendan Kelly then led the group up the right-of-way that was the cause of recent protests [http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72344], and onto his land, which adjoins the landfill site. The group examined his lands, noting in particular the effect that the landfill would have on his land as an organic farmer.

The group, led by Brendan Kelly, then attempted to exercise their rights to use a right-of-way/mass-path that leads to an old children’s burial ground that has been near destroyed by the landfill development. Again the group were blocked by security. This time the group argued that they had a right-of-way to the burial ground, though the security personnel claimed ignorance of any such right-of-way. The security personnel explained that this right-of-way was to be fenced off. From off-site, it was noted that there was a dump-truck parked exactly where the children’s burial ground was.

We then asked for access to the native forestry on-site, which has been used for many years by walkers and nature enthusiasts. We were told we could access the native forest once we didn’t cross the fence that Greenstar had erected. On approaching the native forest, we found that the entire forest had been fenced off, giving no access to the walkers and enthusiasts that have accessed the forest for years. In the mean-time, two of the group had inadvertently wandered passed the fence, which was incomplete, to find themselves on the opposite side to the rest of the group. They were promptly escorted by security personnel back to the other side of the fence.

The group skirted around the fence, until we met some more people from the local community, who walked with us across a further right-of-way across Greenstar land. This particular right-of-way was the cause of protests by the local community early this year, when Greenstar attempted to cut it off. There was no resistance to our using that right-of-way, though at one point, several people from the group wandered through a gap in the fencing, to find themselves near several lagoons. Security, again, escorted the group back on to the right-of-way, and informed us that the Gardaí had been called.

The group then left the right-of-way, and circuited the remainder of the landfill site via a public road. On-route, the group were stopped by a Garda squad car and a Secure-All car. Brendan Kelly was asked to talk to the Gardaí – though no action was taken by the Gardaí.

The group then cut back across Brendan Kelly’s land and exited via the right-of-way they entered via. On the way, it was noted that Greenstar had recently removed part of a hedgerow, despite having said at a public meeting that no further hedgerow was to be damaged.

Returning to Brendan Kelly’s house for refreshments, a discussion was had between the visiting group and the local people that had escorted them around the dump-site. The group told the locals that they fully supported their opposition to the landfill development, particularly considering the breaches of Local Agenda 21 that had occurred. They said that they would spread the news about the dump, and that if there were any further protests, they would try to be there to support the local community.

The visitors said: "We came to find out what was going on, it's obvious now to us that this development is an environmental disaster in the making."

One of the locals, Tomás Lohan, said that “There is a threat to an aquifer located under the site that feeds the ‘lantern’ spring well in Kilconnell. Streams that are fed by the aquifer and run off the site feed the Claren River that flows to the sea at Clarenbridge, home of the famous Oyster Festival”.

Brendan Kelly described the destruction of the native woodland: “Greenstar have a felling license to fell just 35 broadleaf trees. They have felled far more broadleaf trees. Earlier this year, we brought an independent ecologist to the site to determine if this could be one of the few remaining ancient woodlands in Ireland. Preliminary investigations by the Woodland League suggested that this was the case, but we needed an expert to determine for sure. However, when we brought our ecologist to the site, we were refused access. We now know that Greenstar have destroyed large sections of this woodland.

They have also stripped away well in excess of 60 acres of blanket bog, which is a very fragile and increasingly rare eco-system, and as has been reported previously on Indymedia, they have destroyed numerous archaeological sites.

Everything we did today, we did as our duty under Local Agenda 21. Everything I have done to stop this dump, I have done as is my right under Local Agenda 21.

We, the local community, want to thank everybody that came today. It means so much to us that our plight is being recognised by others”

Links to previous articles:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72344
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72434