Surveys chronicle Clare Island's rich archaeological heritage

ISLAND CHILDREN from Co Mayo walked in the steps of famous Edwardian naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger after members of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) launched two volumes of the new Survey of Clare Island at the weekend.

Speaking in the island's community centre, before the field trips, RIA president Nicholas Canny observed that Praeger - who was the academy's first president - had travelled the entire country before choosing Clare Island as the place to carry out the ground-breaking "microscopic study of how things worked in the environment".

Both archaeologist Paul Gosling and botanist David John also outlined some of the discoveries recorded in Volume 5: Archaeology , and Volume 6: Freshwater and Terrestrial Algae.

Mr Gosling observed that the islanders' great knowledge of their landscape had significantly contributed to the recording of 256 sites, monuments and artefacts during the 12-year research period.

These included the discovery of 53 fulachta fia (megalithic cooking pits), court tombs, hut sites and pre-bog walls.

In the original archaeological survey - carried out between 1909 and 1911 - Thomas Johnson Westropp had recorded only 37 items. More sophisticated instrumentation and technology, such as radiocarbon dating, had allowed "for a long slice of island history" to be discovered, Mr Gosling said.

The island's rich archaeological heritage also includes a 12th century Cistercian abbey, the reputed burial place of pirate queen Granuaile. In the new survey's volume on the abbey, published in 2005, painstaking research by a team of conservators revealed highly significant wall-paintings, exceptional for their relative absence of religious iconography and their inclusion of wild animals and warriors.

Botanist David John said the new survey confirmed "the island's rich algal flora". "The most diverse algal areas in the whole of Europe are here on Clare Island and in Connemara," said Mr John. Participating in the archaeology field trip, former pupil of St Patrick's national school geographer Aisling O'Malley praised the academy for treating the children to "such an odyssey".

"An island is a fascinating and unique place where the landscape still has apparent and hidden stories to tell. As a geographer and islander I can walk over potato ridges from famine times and, in the same field, trip over stones from the megalithic period," she said.

Long-time principal of the school Mary McCabe also acknowledged the RIA's inclusive approach to the island community. "The involvement of the teachers and the schoolchildren in the launch of these two volumes and the follow-up field trips has given a whole new meaning to the island's land and seascape. We are already planning projects based on the trips," she said.

Established in 1908, and driven by Praeger's scholarly passion, the original Clare Island Survey was the first major biological study of a specific area undertaken in the world.

The managing editor of the new inter-disciplinary survey reports is Prof Martin Steer.

Curiously, up until the mid-1970s, visitors to Clare Island were called "praegers", due to the memory of the teams of scientists that inhabited the island in the early years of the last century.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Mayo Plan to halt rural decline now in Minister's hands

MAYO County Council's last ditch effort to create a County Development Plan designed to halt rural decline could be shelved by the Department of the Environment.

At a special meeting last Tuesday, Director of Services Joe Loftus told the authority that the five-year plan must comply with regional, national and local levels, the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and Government policy'.

But councillors voted in favour of adopting amendments to enable the increase of one-off houses in rural areas even though the move does not toe the line with the sustainable housing policy, regional planning guidelines or the NSS.

The amendments were originally added in spite of strong opposition from the authority's legal advisor Michael Browne and senior planner lain Douglas.

The adoption now leaves the door open for the rejection of the plan by Environment Minister John Gormley TD in favour of his own replacement. Should this happen, it would be the first time a Government Minister interjected in the development plan of this county.

Fine Gael Party Whip, Cllr Paddy McGuinness.and Fianna Fail councillor, Al McDonnell, joined forces to deliver the plan at the final review stage last week.

Cllr McGuinness suggested a tape of the entire meeting be sent to the Minister to emphasise the strong views on rural decline in the chamber. He referred to the original draft plan as 'flawed' as it was compiled for cities and towns.

He said the Council recommended 96 submissions, accepted 62 and rejected 24 from the Manager's Report.

The Castlebar-based councillor cited a submission by An Taisce, as 'impinging on councillors' rights' and referred to the conservation body's claim that amendments were 'deliberately introduced'. "That is outside the bounds of what is acceptable by way of submission. It is not good enough that An Taisce are able to abuse the system in this way."

The Whip stated that proposed one-off houses will comply with council-designed standards and cannot have a negative impact on the landscape.

Speaking on behalf of his party, Cllr Al McDonnell labelled suggestions made by David Walsh, Principal Spatial Officer of Department of Environment, as 'false and in need of challenge'.

He refuted claims that rural housing causes water quality problems, saying: "The Environmental Protection Agency, Mayo County Council and the Fisheries Board water study of Lough Conn concluded that 96 per cent of pollution problems were from a source other than rural housing. Just 4.3 per cent is from rural sewage and town sewage accounts for 3.6 per cent."

The five-year residency clause was also a bone of contention for elected members and was set out as another example of how the plan neglected to address the problem of rural decline in the West and other regions.

Mayo News

www.buckplanning.ie

Concern over water treatment plan

Concerns in Westport at the potential damaging environmental effect of leachate - a toxic liquid produced when water filters through landfill waste - being pumped into Clew Bay, Co Mayo, were expressed at a Bord Pleanála oral hearing in Westport yesterday.

The total cost of the dual project would be about €16.4 million.

Shellfish farmers are among those objecting to the proposals on the grounds that their livelihoods would be endangered.

In a submission to the hearing, Tony O'Flynn of the Department of Local Government said the key concern for the nature conservation service of the department is the risk of severe negative effects on the EU habitats directive species, freshwater pearl mussel.

He said the proposed changes at the Derrinumera landfill facility required a significant change in the nature and scale of the activities licensed by the EPA under the existing waste licence and would therefore be the subject of a review by the EPA as a separate process.

Evidence from Mayo County Council officials was given to the hearing, which is chaired by planning inspector Daniel O'Connor.

Brian O'Reilly, chartered engineer with the authority, said that at present dewatered sewage sludges are taken out of Mayo by licensed contractors and disposed of in a number of ways, including landspreading.

At present, landfill leachate is taken by a fleet of tankers from the landfill through the streets of Castlebar to the wastewater treatment plant where treatment capacity is limited and is needed for the development of Castlebar itself. The treated waste water was discharged at the confluence of the Manulla and Castlebar rivers into the Moy catchment.

An environmental impact statement (EIS) was commissioned by Mayo County Council due to the sensitive nature of Clew Bay which is a designated shellfish water and also designated under the water framework directive for transitional and coastal waters and is a candidate special area of conservation.

Ecological consultant Chris Emblow told the hearing that in the event of project or mitigation measure failure, the receiving environment could be polluted by toxic substances such that profound and irreversible consequences would occur.

He said that during the construction stage, pollutants and chemicals used could contaminate the area.

Chemical contamination could also occur from accidental spillages, such as oil and other chemicals, through poor operational management, the non-removal of spillages, poor storage, handling and transfer of oil and chemicals.

However, if standard precautions were taken and best practice followed, impacts would be minimal.

Vincent Roche, manager of the North Western Regional Fisheries Board, welcomed the county council's proposals. He said that for almost 30 years, the landfill site had discharged raw sewage into a river which eventually flows into Lough Beltra and on to Clew Bay.

The hearing continues today.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Residents object to gas power station

Residents, schools and community organisations in Claremorris, Co Mayo have pledged to fight plans to build a €135 million gas turbine power station.

Mayo County Council is set to adjudicate on the application by Mountside Properties Ltd to build the station, which would include two 20m stacks. The proposed location, about a kilometre from the town centre, is on a site owned by Mayo County Council.

A recent protest meeting attracted about 500 people. Among the objectors are Claremorris Chamber of Commerce, which says the plant contravenes the local development plan.

Mountside Properties Ltd has argued that the plant would contribute to the security of electricity supply.

The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Controversy over plan for gold mine

A company's plan for a "small scale" gold mine in Co Mayo is running into determined opposition from groups who fear the project would damage the landscape and environment.

The controversy is shaping up into a repeat of the row which embroiled mining companies Glencar and Andaman Resources when they tried to exploit gold resources at Creggaunbaun, near Louisburgh, and Croagh Patrick in the early 1990s.

"Mayo's Gold Limited", a subsidiary of Aurum Explorations, is seeking the go-ahead for what the company describes as a "tourist gold mine" at Creggaunbaun which would primarily be involved in the manufacture of jewellery.

Mining would be carried out in an environmentally sensitive process similar to "keyhole surgery" the company promises, and Croagh Patrick would be out of bounds for the venture.

However, concern was expressed at the weekend that Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan had declared his intention to grant prospecting licences to the company in respect of 135 designated townlands.

The department's deadline for receipt of objections to the issuing of the licences is today.

Mayo County Councillor Margaret Adams says there are a lot of unanswered questions about the company's plans. Representatives should be invited to a meeting to explain their exact proposals, she said.

Westport Tourism has also discussed the company's proposals and says all its members are strongly opposed to them.

Paddy Hopkins, chairman of the Mayo Environmental Group, says the proposal will meet the same level of determined opposition as the plans by Glencar and Andaman to mine gold at Cregganbaun and Croagh Patrick did on the last occasion. "We are trying to get as many groups and individuals as possible to write to Minister Ryan opposing the granting of the prospecting licences."

In a document sent to local landowners in the Creggaunbaun area, Mayo's Gold Limited says it is offering "a completely new approach" to any potential extraction of local gold resources.

Company spokesman Tom O'Gorman said it is thought sufficient gold resources can be established to provide a sustainable development which would provide long-term employment and a unique tourism attraction in the area for 20 or more years.

Tom Shiel
The Irish Times

www.buckplanning.ie

Ballina Local Planning Objections - Fear of Retaliation

Residents feel that they cannot lodge a planning objection to any ‘Council sponsored' projects without facing ‘punishment' down the road. Hence, they contact groups and agencies from outside the county to submit objections on their behalf. This is the feedback from quite a number of people to an article published in last week's Mayo Echo, in which Ballina Councillor Michelle Mulherin questioned the motivation behind the latest objection to An Bord Pleanala regarding the Ballina Pedestrian Bridge project by Peter Sweetman.

One elderly Ballina businesswoman explained it well, "Over the years, it has become common knowledge that if you cause trouble with the council, they will cause trouble with you. You will have difficulty getting planning permission, you mightn't get commercial contracts, and your children will be wasting their time applying for jobs in the council.

Residents feel that they cannot lodge a planning objection to any ‘Council sponsored' projects without facing ‘punishment' down the road. Hence, they contact groups and agencies from outside the county to submit objections on their behalf. This is the feedback from quite a number of people to an article published in last week's Mayo Echo, in which Ballina Councillor Michelle Mulherin questioned the motivation behind the latest objection to An Bord Pleanala regarding the Ballina Pedestrian Bridge project by Peter Sweetman.

One elderly Ballina businesswoman explained it well, "Over the years, it has become common knowledge that if you cause trouble with the council, they will cause trouble with you. You will have difficulty getting planning permission, you mightn't get commercial contracts, and your children will be wasting their time applying for jobs in the council. The council are the biggest employer in the county, and although there is plenty of work around now, a few years ago the position was entirely different. A job in the council was seen as a safe number, but you needed a bit of pull to get in there."

Indeed, in 2006, Castlebar businessman and County Councillor, Paddy McGuinness alleged that a ‘personal vendetta' against a planning applicant had resulted in the application being turned down. Although it was reported later that Cllr. McGuinness had withdrawn the allegation, few people were surprised that such a thing might occur, they were just surprised that someone had the gumption to voice the allegation. The fear of discrimination lasts to this day. All of those who contacted this paper did so on condition of anonymity. One Ballina resident has put together a reply to Cllr. Mulherin's allegations which we publish in full this week.

Dear Editor,

I was saddened and angered to see an article in last week's edition of your paper entitled "Mulherin Accuses Environmentalist of Abusing the Planning System". In the article Cllr Michelle Mulherin, of Ballina Town Council attacked a Mr. Peter Sweetman, for having lodged an objection with An Bord Pleanála that may further delay the construction of a foot bridge across the River Moy. In the article she speaks about "democracy" "consultation" and "environment". This reader's definition and understanding of these words is very different from Cllr. Mulherin's understanding of them. I would like to deal with each of these words in turn.

"Democracy" : I believe Cllr. Mulherin's criticisms are reminiscent of a spoilt child throwing all of her toys out of the pram because thus far she has failed to get her own way. The councillor needs reminding that the right of objection and protest are the very cornerstone upon which any democracy is founded. Remove this facility from the public and we endanger the very fabric of society - in this instance the word dictatorship comes to mind. Just look at the proposed Canalside car park fiasco which is connected to the issue of the foot bridge in the An Bord Pleanála report. As a result of public protest a decision was made on the 20th of July 2006 by a majority of Councillors not to proceed with the destruction of this green river bank area. Did Cllr Mulhern, as a believer in democracy feel compelled to defend this democratic vote? Why no, she welcomed the reversal of the decision when the issue was undemocratically brought back on to the table for a second vote on January 18th 2007.

As a resident of the town I have often heard the complaint expressed that the people of Ballina are not bothered or don't take enough interest in their own town. In this instance they did take an interest. Ballina Town Council received a total of 181 submissions on the issue of which only 31 were favourable to a car park while a staggering 150 submissions expressed the wish to see this unspoilt area enhanced as an amenity for the public. Did this democratic expression of interest carry any weight in the council chamber or with Cllr Mulherin? Sadly the answer is no!

Consultation : Cllr. Mulherin's understanding of the word consultation is very different to mine. Let's look at the "consultation and compromise" process that took place in relation to the proposed foot bridge. She mentions three groups as stakeholders; The North Western Regional Fisheries Board, The Ballina Salmon Anglers Association and The National Parks and Wildlife Service. Firstly I believe that the Ballina Salmon Anglers were "facilitated" in their objection for no other reason than fear. If the anglers were ignored there was the potential for a mass protest inclusive of both the angling community in Ballina and from much further afield. This protest would have included the submission of a public petition which risked drawing too much negative public attention on the council and their activities. The Council's facilitation of the anglers was a matter of convenience and nothing more. While The North Western Fisheries Board had no outright objection, there were however preconditions. This government agency took the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" attitude in that as a pre-condition of not objecting, the council would agree the re- turn of property which they had previously taken from the NWR Fisheries Board by way of Compulsory Purchase Order.

Now let's look at the consultation process which took place with the National Parks and Wildlife Service or lack of, to be more precise. The evidence is damning. It would be an understatement to say that I believe the National Parks and Wildlife Service must be incensed by the behaviour of the Ballina Town Council. Here is what they had to say about the consultation process "contrary to the arrangements that this Department has with all planning authorities whereby planning applications that may have an impact on the natural heritage are referred to the Department's local wildlife staff as well as to this Unit, this application was not referred to the Department's local wildlife staff". Their representative goes on to say "I would be grateful if the Council could defer making a decision on this planning application until this Department is able to submit its nature conservation comments to you". This request was met with stunning arrogance in the council chamber as they chose to ignore this call and proceed with a vote just two days after the letter arrived! This is not the only instance when the National Parks and Wildlife Service had cause to express serious concern.

Here is what they had to say about the Council's consultation on the issue of the proposed Canalside car park "The National Parks and Wildlife Service of this Department were not consulted initially - - NPWS should have been sent the papers for comment -- rather than in an ad hoc manner, as was the case, a few days before the council meeting where the development was due to be voted on. The appropriate mechanisms for consultation were not followed in this instance". One wonders how this equates to Cllr Mulherin's statement in last week's edition of the paper when she said "consideration of environmental matters are part and parcel of the Council's routine deliberations on all developments". If this is what Cllr. Mulherin considers to be the definition of consultation and environmental consideration there is something seriously wrong!

This leads me to comment on the Cllr.'s initial statement "Abuse of the planning system". Just who is abusing the planning system I ask? When the private citizen of this town is put to the pin of their collar to abide by planning and development regulation, should we expect anything less from our local authority and those elected to it?

Environment : The River Moy has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation by the European Union primarily because it is a freshwater salmonoid river. Its importance is not just national it's European. The most significant part of this river is to be found flowing through Ballina. It's called the "Ridge Pool" this tiny stretch of water is possibly the single most lucrative piece of salmon fishery in Western Europe. Approximately a third of the annual recorded catch of salmon taken from the whole length of the River Moy comes from this tiny location. I applaud anyone native or outsider who has the interest of our river at heart. It seems utterly ridiculous to endanger in any way this priceless amenity and source of tourism revenue, every attention should be paid to the environmental objection.



The pedestrian footbridge was conceived as a grandiose entrance to a proposed Arts Centre and Theatre the funding for which has presently fallen through. Are we serious in wanting to spend over 1 million euros on a bridge that gets no one anywhere any faster? In my opinion the idea of a pedestrian bridge has great merit - it's just in the wrong place. If this bridge were to span the river at the Ballina town park on the Sligo Rd. it would serve as a much-needed connection between some of the towns outstanding amenities. It would provide people in the Ardnaree, Bunree, Sligo Rd. and Riverslade area with direct pedestrian access to the Ballina athletic track, the Ballina soccer pitch and the beautiful amenity of Beleek Woods, likewise it would provide the residents of Bachelor's Walk, Castle Rd, Castle Court and the Beleek area with easy pedestrian access to the beautiful town park. It would greatly shorten the distance travelled by residents in both these areas when the want to access the amenities on the opposite riverbank. Importantly it would also mean that there was less danger to the ecology of the riverbed during construction as this is a tidal area and not a freshwater section of river. In conclusion I wish to state that I have no connection

to Mr. Peter Sweetman but support and applaud him. By no means are his actions "tedious and technical" in fact An Bord Pleanála recently upheld one of his objections relating to the proposed decentralisation of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to a location at Knock Airport, because Mayo County Council had broke so many planning regulations and codes in relation to granting permission. This issue has resolved itsself in that now the offices will be located at Charlestown, a move that even Minister O'Cuiv has said in a radio interview, was in hindsight probably the better option in the end. I believe that Cllr. Mulherin also holds a seat on Mayo County Council! I would like Cllr. Mulherin to understand that although, like many, I am weary of our council's behaviour I am not asleep to what goes on. Stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes and give us open, accountable, and democratic local government. After all that is what the people of Ballina voted for.

Name and address with editor,

(for reasons outlined).

(c) Mayo Echo

EPA Hearing: Shell Mayo Terminal

Blame for the Corrib gas controversy was firmly laid on the doorstep of Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey and former minister Frank Fahey by an An Taisce member at thee Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) oral hearing into the issuing of an integrated pollution prevention licence (IPPC).
Leo Corcoran, a former Bord Gáis engineer, argued that the issuing of "dodgy consents" was the biggest mistake, and that the manner in which the project has been handled would never have been countenanced by Bord Gáis.
His claim that Shell was in breach of codes of practice adhered to throughout Europe was vigorously challenged by Shell's senior counsel, Esmonde Keane, who was accused by appellant Ed Moran of "using and abusing" court-room techniques in his cross-examination.
Mr Corcoran said there were significant differences between the Bellanaboy refinery and one at St Fergus, in Scotland, which was used as an evaluation basis by the EPA inspector who granted the conditional IPPC licence last January. The St Fergus refinery is located exactly on the coastline, has a short production pipe, is not adjacent to a water catchment area and is located in a specially designated area for oil development, he said.
He said the fact that a Shell expert witness, Dr Nigel Peters, a health, safety and environment consultant with the company, had refused to answer a key question was telling. Mr Corcoran had asked whether it would be acceptable
practice in Scotland to have instead located St Fergus adjacent to the nearby town of Peterhead, which, like Bellanaboy, is within a catchment area of drinking water for 10,000 people.
In his submission, Leo Corcoran said the Scottish Environment Protection Authority - "an organisation with considerable experience in licensing such facilities"- agreed the terminal should not be located within a drinking water catchment.
He quoted its head of water policy, Martin Marsden: "When consulted on the location of major industrial facilities, SEPA would normally recommend against placing such facilities at locations which could affect public drinking water."
Concerns about excessive aluminium levels in Carrowmore lake, the main drinking water supply for the Erris area, have been ongoing.
John Monaghan, a Shell to Sea campaigner, asked the hearing's chairman, Frank Clinton, if he was aware the company was regularly breaching its own limits on the site since October 2005.
Cross-examining Dr Peters, Micheál Ó Seighin revealed the company may have used a questionable statistic to gauge run-off impact from extreme rainfall within a 24-hour period.
"How could you base your figures on a catastrophic event [ the Pollathomas landslide in September 2003] from the Belmullet weather station. There was no rain in Belmullet that day; it was a spatially limited catastrophe," said Mr Ó Seighin. He added the statistic used was from Inver national school, which was not monitored properly.
He observed that while experts concerned themselves with possible failure, a community concerned itself with possible consequences.
Bríd McGarry, a landowner involved in Wednesday's High Court proceedings, claimed the vacating of the compulsory acquisition orders for the original pipeline route may have a legal bearing on the IPPC, since there is a conduit pipe which will now take a new route into the refinery.
Suggestions that Shell E&P Ireland held a series of formal consultation meetings with residents living near the Bellanaboy site regarding the decision to cold-vent the gas rather than flare it have been described as an "insult to the intelligence of the people".
Agnes McLaverty, of Shell, said there had been a series of public exhibitions in Rossport, Belmullet, Ballina and other areas where the issue of cold-venting and flaring was raised.
She was responding to the chairman of the hearing, Frank Clinton, who asked Shell representatives to provide detailed documentation of a consultation process it said it carried out with Mayo County Council and the community. She said they chose cold-venting to ease residents' concerns over the visual impact.
Cold-venting of gas, usually methane, entails its release directly into the environment without being burned.
However, appellants said that cold-venting was rarely mentioned at meetings and the majority of the people did not know what it was. One appellant, Anthony Irwin, claimed that the documentation cited by Shell as proof that it had conducted a consultation process was an "insult to the intelligence of the people". In his opinion, the main document issued for planning approval was incomplete and flawed.
The hearing resumes on Tuesday.
Áine Ryan, Anton McNulty & Lorna Siggins [Edited]
© 2007 The Irish Times

Cong quarry objection

RESIDENTS OF a south Mayo village have lodged an extensive submission with Mayo County Council against the retention of a stone quarry in the region.
The Residents and Landowners Committee of Creevagh, Cong have lodged objections against a planning application for the retention of existing quarry facilities at a site known locally as Creevagh North.
The application, which was lodged by Mr Gerry Varley, is for the retention of the existing quarry facility, access road and exit onto the Creevagh Road. Furthermore, the application also includes the blasting and crushing of rock on an area of three hectares, along with an application for all auxiliary site works.
Residents of the scenic south Mayo village have lodged a lengthy submission with the local planning authority objecting to the quarry application on legislative and ecological grounds.
The submission contends that contrary to the ‘Quarries and Ancillary Activities Guidelines for Planning Authorities April 2004’, there was a failure to register the quarry under the 2004 registration procedure.Therefore, it is argued that the current site is the subject of an unauthorised development procedure.
Furthermore, the concerned residents have also outlined that there is the possibility of extensive ecological damage if the quarry application is granted, citing the wide variety of plants and animals which inhabit the region.
Their objection also makes reference to the current roads infrastructure in the area, saying that the entrance and exit to the quarry will adversely affect the rural road and that the current roadway is wholly unsuitable for a high volume of heavy goods vehicles.
Furthermore, extensive reference was also made to a previous planning application, for a quarry at Creevagh, Ballyheane, Co Mayo, which was refused on appeal by An Bord Pleanála.
The current application, which has been lodged with Mayo County Council, is due for decision on March 29, but it is expected that further information will be sought by the Council.
A spokesperson for the residents said the processing of the application would be policed very carefully by them. They believed their arguments against the stone quarry were overwhelming.
Claire Egan
© Mayo News