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It is a battle between those wishing to preserve the cultural
heritage of turf-cutting and those who wish to save the landscape
itself.
But turfcutters have vowed that a new-year ban will not affect
their way of life. Thirty-two raised bog areas - mainly in
Galway, Roscommon and Offaly - have been designated as Special
Areas of Conservation and were out of bounds for turf-cutting
as of 1st January.
However, defiant campaigners, who are opposing the move,
say they will break the law and go to jail if necessary so
they can continue to cut turf.
Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, chairman of The Turfcutters' and Contractors'
Association (TCCA) and a member of Roscommon County Council,
said - "In effect, 165 bogs will be taken out of action in
the ban. The area in question is the most impoverished in
the country. It has the highest population of people over
65 years old and they are being asked to pay five times more
in fuel bills at a time when people never had less money."
He pointed out that less than 10pc of the designated bogland
was in private ownership and the TCCA has estimated it would
take 500 years for all the turf to be cut away.
"Bord na Mona has estimated that there is between €280,000
and €285,000 worth of turf per acre and yet they are only
offering compensation of €3,000. But the bottom line is that
we don't want any compensation. We want to be able to continue
to cut turf," added the councillor, who owns a portion of
bog affected by the ban.
From January 1st, turfcutting was banned on 32 bogs - and,
at the end of 2012, a further 23 bogs across the midlands
and west will be added to the list.
Source - The Irish Independent
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