Attitudes of farmers such as Andy MacSharry, jailed this week, explain why hillwalkers are avoiding Ireland, writes David Herman.
The jailing of farmer Andy MacSharry following his refusal to pay a fine for threatening and abusive behaviour towards two hillwalkers, highlights once again the parlous state of access to our countryside. The reason for his conviction was not, let it be emphasised, for refusing reasonable access to his land - he is perfectly entitled under present Irish law to do that. It was only for the manner in which he chose to exercise that right.
In this Co Sligo case, and in many other cases of access problems that have arisen here recently, we are not talking about intensively cultivated fields or areas with farmers working on tractors. We are talking about rough grazing land of heather and coarse grass where only the intrepid and well-prepared normally venture. Yet even on this land walkers and other recreational users have no legal rights and can be evicted for any reason or none. In fact, the only areas in the Republic where walkers enjoy such rights are the National Parks (a miserable 1 per cent of the total land area), forest parks and the 3,000 kilometres of way-marked paths. However, even the latter have been blocked off recently by aggrieved landowners in disputes that have nothing to do with walkers.
Before summarising the situation elsewhere, I should make a clear distinction between rights of way and freedom to roam. Rights of way are point-to-point paths, tracks or simply lines on the map; walkers are not permitted to divert from them. Appropriate to intensively farmed lowlands, they facilitate leisurely walking and also provide an orderly way of reaching the uplands. Freedom to roam, on the other hand, allows walkers to wander at will and is suitable only for rough grazing land. In practice, however, walkers tend even here to keep to paths, primarily because they offer easier walking.
Compare our pathetic situation here with that in Britain. There, walkers enjoy 225,000 kilometres of clearly marked rights of way (mostly in the lowlands) and the right to roam over vast stretches of upland. Scotland, in particular, is going one better: the Scottish Assembly is in the process of implementing legislation which would allow access to every part of the country, except in the most obvious places, such as over growing crops.
It is much the same story in other European countries: almost everywhere, recreational users have legal rights, and indeed this is encouraged at EU level. In none of these countries do landowners get paid for allowing access, and reasonable grants are allowable only where serious damage can be proved.
Here is one startling statistic: the numbers of walking tourists coming here has dropped by more than a third in 10 years and is still dropping. Fáilte Ireland accepts that the main reason for this is the problem of access. And this is happening at a time when, with increased emphasis on health and leisure, the number of walkers worldwide must be increasing rapidly. How our main rivals, the people in Scottish tourism, must be rubbing their collective hands in glee. I have many letters on file to illustrate the reaction of incoming walkers to the poor reception they got here.
Some came here expecting the freedom to roam and did not know where they were welcome when they found that no such concept existed. Others expected clearly marked rights of way to allow leisurely walking and found none. Worst of all, some complain about hostile notices and of being abused by farmers even in remote areas where they thought they were safe. These people and those they talk to will certainly not come here again; the huge drop in visiting walkers shows that this negative reaction is all too widespread.
Are the Government and its agencies concerned about what is now a crisis? Except for Fáilte Ireland, they are concealing their concern under a most convincing display of indifference and sluggishness. As for the main farming organisations, their attitude can be summed up simply as "not a square inch". The fact that agri-tourism is being severely hit at a time when farmers should be considering diversifying out of agriculture seems to matter not a jot to them. They are even prepared to support to the hilt farmers such as MacSharry (he is not the only one) who have been convicted of assault. Worst of all, the policy of the main organisation that should support walkers, the Mountaineering Council of Ireland, is to seek a "partnership" with the farming organisations. Truly, this is a "partnership" of the toothless with the ruthless.
The decline in the number of visiting walking tourists is serious enough in itself, but there are also the side-effects to consider: producers and sellers of guidebooks and maps, and people who could be employed erecting stiles, repairing stone walls, acting as guides, and so on - all are victims.
Furthermore, walkers in the Dublin area have an attractive option of going to welcoming Wales rather than face the hazards of going west, where access problems fester.
Then there is the effect on the health of the nation. Walking is excellent exercise, suitable for all age groups. In many areas the choice is tarmac and traffic or nothing.
The pity of it all is that we live in a potentially superb country for walkers, with mountains that are both remote in atmosphere and easily accessible, surrounded by countryside that can yet be saved from the ravages of unwise developments. Are we prepared to let it all go to pander to the irrational fears of a small minority and to the indifference and timidity of those who should be vigorously tackling the issue right now?
David Herman is a former writer of hillwalking guidebooks but has stopped due to access problems. He is the author of Access to the Irish Countryside and a supporter of Keep Ireland Open www.keepirelandopen.org