A chara, - Article 1 of our Constitution states: "The Irish nation hereby affirms its. . .right to. . . develop its life, political, economic and cultural, in accordance with its own genius and traditions". The basic rural genius is the social, economic and cultural unit in the countryside known as the townland (or "biataigh" - biatach, food-providing).
In Gaelic times, 120 old Irish acres equalled one seisreach, and 12 ploughlands equalled one baile. This baile-biataigh (victualler's settlement/town) was the area required to supply beef for the average sept. Later, under the Normans, the baile-biataigh became the baile-betagh or townland - the place where country people were nourished and had their homes.
Apart from his actually dwelling on the land (and not in an adjacent hamlet), another source of the Irish land tiller's persistent attachment to the soil was that his ancestors owned it. The Gaelic chiefs (and many Norman lords) were not, like English landlords, absolute owners; they were elected, though out of a single family. Thus even the humblest clansman was a co-proprietor with his chief.
The people then, and in later difficult times, survived within the townland in each other's shelter. Despite unemployment, emigration and, at times, official hostility, this native genius nurtured the indigenous culture and, even yet, in more intact places, the Irish language.
Yet our planning officers are opposing these traditions and influences. Having been trained in England (since there is no planning school in Ireland), or recruited abroad, they seek conformity to an alien model, namely, the English hamlet adjacent to one manor house that controls wide hectares devoid of people. Indeed, in placing all new family housing in a village or new suburb and by denying heirs the option of building on family holdings, our planning officers are contravening Article 1.
Granted, they may be concerned about ground water pollution, but this should not be an excuse for blanket refusal of an area, or class. Rather, there should be on site soil analysis per application: where there is suitable earth (60 per cent of cases), the traditional septic tank suffices; in perhaps 25 per cent of cases, more advanced sewerage systems are needed; and in 15 per cent, alternative technology - or refusal.
But the centralising bias should end and full consideration be given to retaining a townland's people as the native model. - Is mise,
BRIAN Ó DAIMHÍN, Pairc Langton, Droichead Nua, Co Chill Dara.