Quarry plan ‘will threaten old site’

cavan | environment | news report Wednesday January 04, 2006 20:24 by Anton McCabe

Nulty company admits monument damage.

Further controversy has erupted over the plans to extend the quarry operation at Ardkill More mountain near Cavan town.

A beautiful study of Ardkillmore by John O’Reilly

Residents in Co Cavan are objecting to the proposed expansion of a quarry, alleging it would threaten one of Ireland’s most ancient monuments.
The Black Pig’s Dyke was built about 2,000 years ago, as a defensive barrier along the southern boundary of Ulster.The builders modelled it on the Roman Hadrian’s Wall in Britain.

The Red Branch Heritage Group is objecting to a planning application from John Nulty Quarries at Ardkill More, Carrkakaboy. Nulty Quarries is seeking to increase the area of their quarry by 3.37 hectares. Ardkill More mountain is about half-a-dozen miles south of Cavan town, and is 880 feet high. Cavan’s best-preserved parts of the Dyke are on the western and northern slopes of the mountain. They are protected under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2004.In its planning objection, the Heritage Group alleged the quarry had already destroyed part of the Dyke.

“The expansion of the quarrying facility at Ardkill More, would further prejudice the integrity and value of the above listed Black Pig’s Dyke or Worm Ditch which is the only surviving section of this monument in County Cavan,” the group said.
“It would cause further damage to the unique setting and surroundings of the above-mentioned monument.”

Sean Nulty, a director of Nulty Quarries, admitted the quarry had destroyed part of the Dyke. “There was some of it going through the quarry, but that’s gone this years,” he said.“It was eaten up 20 years ago. On the new planning application, it’s on different land, we’re working away above it. It’s one hundred feet from it. The local farmers have damaged it this years.”

A spokesperson for Cavan County Council’s planning department said aspects of the application had been referred to the Department of the Environment.