Gardaí left to babysit Galway’s designated bogs as turf is harvested

Turf is once again being cut on bogs designated as off limits by Europe this week – with Galway Gardaí on hand to keep little more than a watching brief.

That’s what one elected representative and leading supporter of the turf cutting protest, Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice, has claimed – as he lashed out what he called the waste of Garda resources.

There has been little effort to hide the cutting on bogs in North and South East Galway; low flying helicopters and a regular Garda presence are designed to ensure that there are no public order offences.

Turf has already been cut on banned bogs in the Ballymoe and Monivea areas, and over the weekend there was a convoy of turf cutting machines entering bogs in Monivea.

Deputy Fitzmaurice said that there were four Garda patrols a day in the bog in Monivea – and it was something similar in his own area around Ballymoe.

He confirmed that designated bogs, where turf cutting is banned, had already been harvested despite the Garda presence.

The independent TD said that turf would be cut on these bogs as normal and particularly as there was no alternative being offered.

“We were told that bog owners would be given an alternative location in which to save turf but in many cases this has not happened so, until then, we have no alternative but to cut turf where we always cut turf,” the Glinsk Deputy added.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.