Turf cutters call for ‘de-designation’ of protected bogs as four contractors appear in court

Date Published: 06-Mar-2013

The Government has been called upon to ‘de-designate’ a small number of bogs across the State in order to avoid a long, costly, and emotive legal battle after 500 people marched to support four Co Galway turf-cutters who appeared before Loughrea District Court yesterday.

The four men – Michael Darcy, Patrick McDonagh, Anthony Parker, and Padraic Byrne – are the first in the country to be summonsed to appear before a District Court as a result of cutting turf on bogs which have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation.

Judge Geoffrey Browne refused jurisdiction in the case after hearing that the four men could face fines of up to €500,000, or three years in jail, as a result of cutting turf at Clonmoylan Bog, near Portumna, on three separate dates in May and August of last year.

A crowd of over 500 people gathered near the Courthouse to support the four men and they marched through the town after hearing speeches from Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan TD and Michael Fitzmaurice of the Irish Turf Cutters and Contractors Association (ITCCA).

The four men received a rousing reception from the crowd when they emerged from the Courthouse after the case was adjourned to April 10.

“We see this as a long battle. The Judge said he won’t hold jurisdiction on it. In order to protect our constitutional rights we’ll probably have to go to the highest court going, so that we can cut turf. Today is really a start,” said Dermot Moran of the Barroughter and Clonmoylan Bog Action Group, after the court hearing.

He told The Connacht Tribune that the four men were heartened by the support they had received from people who had travelled from Kerry, Kildare, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Clare, and all over Galway and Roscommon, to support them.

See full story and court report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.