A Canadian mining company has been granted prospecting licences over a large area of Connemara, including parts of Roundstone Bog, despite objections from environmentalists. The initial application to the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, by Falconbridge Ltd of Toronto had been queried by the Minister of State for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, on the basis that Duchas, the Heritage Service, had not been consulted.
However, the Minister of State told The Irish Times that the permission now granted by Dr Woods was subject to environmental conditions. The methods used by the prospecting company would be "non-intrusive", and Duchas would have to be informed before exploration work could take place, he said.
The licences cover prospecting for base metals, barytes, silver, gold and platinum and the areas cover west Connemara from Roundstone to Slyne Head, including Roundstone Bog, which is a proposed World Heritage Area and is recognised as one of the finest stretches of lowland blanket bog in Europe. Most of the townlands involved were designated as Natural Heritage Areas in 1994-1995, and more recently as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the EU Habitats Directive.
Mr Tim Robinson, of the Save the Roundstone Bog campaign, who opposed the application, said they were areas of great natural beauty and their scenic amenity value was recognised in the Galway county plan. Granting such licences would be in contradiction to the conservation plan ordered by Mr O Cuiv for Roundstone bog.
In a letter to Mr O Cuiv, Dr Woods said that the actions permissible under a prospecting licence were, in general, "non-invasive and of minimum environmental impact". The licence permitted a company only to explore the area for minerals in which it was interested, and Duchas has been consulted about any SACs or special protection areas which may exist.This is the second controversy to affect Roundstone bog recently. The first, the revived plan for an airstrip in the area to link Clifden to the islands, appears to have been averted following the identification of an alternative site by the backers at Cleggan cross, north of Clifden.
The group, including Mr Paul Hughes, of Abbeyglen Hotel, Clifden, had sought to locate the airstrip at Derrygimlagh by the remains of the Marconi Telegraph Station, through a land swap with Duchas. However, the environmental implications were acknowledged by Mr O Cuiv late last year, when he commissioned a survey to identify possible alternative sites.
