Red Branch Heritage Release New Statement on Ardkill Quarry.

cavan | environment | press release Saturday November 03, 2007 01:26 by Michael Lynch

Accusations of Council Collusion and Leaks to Support Quarry Owner

Battle was not lost say group. Dyke’s Future secured.

Cavan pressure group Red Branch Heritage have issued a statement today Friday 2nd November on the current situation at Ardkill More, Carrickaboy where An Bord Pleanala earlier this year granted permission to John Nulty Limited to extend their quarry across the western slopes of Ardkill mountain.

An appeal by An Taisce was rejected by the bord last April; however An Bord Pleanala did issue a number of new conditions to the Nulty group.

The Statement is as follows.
Red Branch Heritage wishes to make a statement to clarify our position on the situation at Ardkill More Mountain at the moment. Our group regrets An Bord Pleanala’s decision to grant permission for the extension of the quarry.

Local residents will be shocked in the coming decade at the level of defacement which this extension will cause, high on the western slopes of the mountain. The works will eventually come to within fifty metres of the summit itself.

On a positive level we would appear to have won a number of concessions. Namely the permission is reduced to a period for twelve years to work the quarry.

The future of the Black Pig’s Dyke has being secured. The quarry company is obliged to establish fencing and hedging around the boundaries of the site in order to provide screening; however it is very doubtful if this will have the desired affect.

The company is prohibited from extending the quarry beyond the 246 metre AOD contour line in order to prevent them breaching the horizon. They are also obliged to progressively restore the quarry. Only time will tell if Nulty’s will adhere to these conditions.

We wish to sincerely thank An Taisce and in particular their heritage officer, Ian Lumley for their support in bringing forward the appeal and also the small number of local residents who had the courage and determination to support the campaign over a number of years. This was despite a disgraceful and cowardly smear campaign carried out by vested interests, in a failed attempt to pressure residents to abandon the campaign. This disgraceful attempt to browbeat people into submission was accommodated by certain high ranking individuals in Cavan County Council who deliberately leaked information involving the naming of individuals who had expressed alarm at the damage caused to a national monument. It’s a sad day for democracy in Ireland when citizens who are simply concerned to protect our national heritage are demonised and slandered in a whispering campaign to appease the greed of development interests who have neither concern or interest in such matters. It’s quite simply disgusting that information sent in confidence to a government department could eventually find its way back into the hands of a private company with a vested interest. What message is this sending to people who use peaceful means to promote their cause? It is no wonder many locals who expressed alarm about the development in private decided to keep silent in public.

Sincerely,
The Red Branch Heritage Committee.

End of Statement