Alcock and Brown International it won't be, but a revised plan for an airstrip by the fragile Roundstone bog has received the indirect support of the Office of Public Works.
Nine years after a controversial airport at Clifden was first mooted, notices placed by the Office's heritage wing, Duchas, have appeared in the local press this week seeking the views of the public on a proposed land swap. If approved by the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, the swap would permit construction of an air facility outside the designated Special Area of Conservation.
The emphasis is on "air facility", according to the developers, who wear the badge of Clifden Airport Company. Far less ambitious than the original £1.6 million plan, the proposed airstrip would be located at Derrygimlagh on degraded bogland in exchange for the original 80-acre site on the Roundstone bog.
As highlighted during the early debate, the blanket bog's heritage value has been compared to that of the Egyptian pyramids, while its birdlife includes several species listed under EU directives. The Derrygimlagh area is primarily of historical, rather than environmental, significance and is on lands which once formed part of the Marconi radio station.
The recent stranding of 63 Christmas visitors on Inishbofin during the severe weather illustrates the need for such a transport facility, according to sources close to the company. An Air Corps airlift for the visitors was requested by the Minister of State for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Mr Eamon O Cuiv. He has since said that island development depends on good air links, and he is examining the provision of strips on Inishbofin, Inishturk and Clare Island in north Mayo.
Galway County Council refused planning permission for the original project when the OPW designated the 80-acre site as an Area of Scientific Interest. In May 1993 the Supreme Court upheld a High Court decision that the OPW was wrong on constitutional grounds to designate it as an ASI. However, the promoters announced that they would be abandoning the project; and the bogland, with its geese, merlins and peregrine falcons, was designated as an SAC.
The author and map-maker Tim Robinson, of the Save Roundstone Bog group, said this weekend that he hadn't seen the details of the new proposal. However, the suggested location would appear to be worse than the original choice, he said.
"The first site was a bit cut off, but this area at Derrygimlagh is continuous with the heart of the bog," Mr Robinson told The Irish Times. "The visual intrusion would be very damaging. Even if the bogland is degraded, it is an area that should be considered as a very important buffer zone between the SAC and the rest. If the proposal is modest, it is still the thin end of the wedge."
Mr O Cuiv emphasised that the notice was part of a consultative proposal, and the emphasis was on finding a compromise. "This is a scaled-down version of the original plan, but we want to hear submissions from everybody and all views will be considered," he stressed. "No decision will be taken before that."
Sources close to the backers say they have the strong support of the north Mayo islanders, who are fed up with weather-related disruptions of ferry services. Tourist traffic to the islands is also a factor. Mr Robinson says that his group will be making a submission outlining its objections to the swap.
Both sides have until March 2nd to make their case, by writing to the Minister, care of Duchas, the Heritage Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service (OPW), 51 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.
