Bitter turf war shows no sign of easing

Defiant turf-cutters called for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to be disbanded and Minister for Heritage Jimmy Deenihan to resign when up to 200 supporters from all over Ireland travelled to support four men who had the case against them adjourned at Galway Circuit Criminal Court on Tuesday.

The four men had their case put back to December 17 next after Judge Raymond Groarke heard that the trial of Michael Darcy, Pat McDonagh, Padraig Byrne and Anthony Porter could last for up to nine days.

All four face summonses for breaching European Commission (Birds and Habitats) Regulations by cutting turf at Clonmoylan, Derryvunlan, and Cloncoo on separate dates in May and August of last year.

The brief hearing came after a second major showdown at a Co Galway bog in the space of ten days provided stark evidence that the turf-cutting dispute which has raged since the start of last year has escalated to bogs where there were no confrontations last year.

Gardaí became embroiled in a stand-off with up to 150 local people at a Special Area of Conversation (SAC) site in Monivea on Saturday, three days before the South East Galway men had the case against them adjourned until the end of the year.

The Monivea siege came ten days after another confrontation involving Gardaí and 200 local people at Ardraigue Bog, leading to fears that the dispute at 53 SAC bogs nationwide is set to escalate beyond control.

There are 13 SAC bogs in Co Galway and, until last weekend, showdowns with the authorities were confined to sites at Clonmoylan, Ardraigue, and Barroughter, three neighbouring bogs in South East Galway.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.