This article is from page 8 of the 2011-11-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
CLARE turf-cutters have vowed to take their fight to be allowed to continue the centuries-old practice of cutting turf to the corridors of Dáil Éireann, following the huge attendance at a public meeting that was staged in Moyasta last Thursday night.
The meeting in Garrihy’s Bar attracted nearly 250 turf-cutters from around the county, who stepped up their campaign by establishing a Clare branch of the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association.
Padraig Haugh has been elected chairman of the new group, while the national spokesperson for turfcutters in Dáil Éireann, Deputy Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, has told The Clare People that the new Clare committee is the first step towards Clare turfcutters fighting for their rights.
“We left Moyasta with a committee – a chairman, and treasurer and a secretary, ready to take up the baton in the Clare area when it comes to fighting this issue,” said Deputy Flanagan, who attended Thursday night’s meeting in Moyasta.
“It was the biggest turnout I’ve ever seen at a meeting in Clare,” said chairman Padraig Haugh. “The crowd turned out in such numbers because this is a big issue, a very big issue and it’s not just in west Clare.
“I am secretary of the Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and I was speaking to colleagues over in east Clare and they are very worried about this too.
“Turf-cutting is vital to us, because it was always with us. I started farming in 1948 and I have been cutting turf for as long as that. It goes back centuries. We cannot be stopped cutting turf. We have to defeat this,” added Mr Haugh.
“The purpose of setting up the committee is that everyone in Clare who is involved in turf-cutting can feed into this group and deal with the issues as they come along. Tullaher Lough Bog is the one that’s most important at the moment as the ban has come in on that the end of this year,” contined Deputy Flanagan.
“We want to make sure that people in Clare can continue to cut turf. We have a report from the EPA which has a peatlands plan, which means people will need permits and will need to do studies in their area before they cut turf.
“We need to be ready for this battle down the line. Unless there is someone in Clare to represent turf-cutters, we are facing the distinct possibilty that there will be no turf cut in Clare in the near future,” Deputy Flanagan added.