The owner of Derrynaflan Island, which contains a national monument monastic site in Co Tipperary, has written to a Government Minister saying he intends to sell the island to the Travelling community.
He says this is because of his frustration in gaining vehicular access to his property, through Bord na Móna lands which surround it. Mr William Courtney, a Kerry native who lives in London, bought the 48-acre island about 20 years ago. It houses a 13th-century church and graveyard in the middle of the Littleton Bog.
In 1980 a hoard of items comprising a silver chalice, silver paten, paten stand and a decorated bronze strainer-ladle were discovered near the church and these are now in the National Museum.
Mr Courtney has tried for some years to have the old railway line, which he claims was widely used as a right of way from 1964 until 1998, reopened so the public could visit the site. He also had plans for minor visitor development on the site. Bord na Móna closed the access after problems with New Age Traveller encampments. There is an adequate right of way to the island along another route, further south which also crosses the disused railway line and this Bord na Móna said is the only legitimate right of way.
"We have not interfered with the right of way. There is access. We are not in a position to open up the disused railway line as we have to secure our property," said Mr John O'Gallagher of Bord na Móna.
Mr Courtney has also several times approached Dúchas as well as the Minister responsible for the service. However, the heritage service says it has no role to play in putting pressure on Bord na Móna to reopen the route.
The access they use along the old right of way to maintain the monuments is rough but adequate, a spokeswoman said. The State has guardianship of the monastic site and, while Mr Courtney is perfectly entitled to sell the land, the guardianship remains with Dúchas, she explained.
Mr Courtney brought a track machine from Killarney at a cost of €800 "to restore the right of way - but Bord na Móna cut the roadway again about a week after. I have been approached by parties from the Travelling community expressing an interest in buying the island [48 Irish acres] and since they are maybe the only people that can cope with Bord na Móna, I will hopefully sell the island to them, since as an expatriate old-age pensioner I have no chance of restraining the conduct of Bord na Móna."