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Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 21:05:33 GMT
From: "SchNEWS" (schnews@gn.apc.org)
Subject: SchNEWS 241, Friday 17th December 1999

GLEN OF THE COMEDOWNS

Last week, the supreme court rejected an appeal by environmentalists who have been trying to stop the building of a £20 million dual carriageway through the Glen of the Downs. The Glen is a beautiful broad leafed forest between the Sugar Loaf Mountains in North County Wicklow. Wicklow County Council is widening and expanding the Arklow-Dublin road, linking Larne with Paris. The men and machines are bludgeoning miles of oak, beach and hazel, and aim to cut down 2000 trees.

The Glen of the Downs was proposed as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) by Dúchas, the Irish Government's heritage service, and should enjoy the protection of European Law. However, bureaucratic bullshit came to the rescue of the forces of environmental destruction as officials took 4 years too long to send a list of SAC sites to the EU, prompting them to threaten withholding Structural Funds from Ireland. Eviction of the longest Irish road protest started on 10th December, and despite lock-ons and people up trees, some trees were felled because there weren't enough people to defend the whole site, so ring the number below and get yerselves down there. What with roads being a much more eco-friendly method of transport than trains, as part of the National Development Plan, the National Roads Authority received £4.8 billion, while the public train system received nothing.

Ireland, long famed for its unbelievable traffic jams and congestion caused by the fast pace of modern life, may soon breathe a sigh of relief. According to the National Road Authority, "There will never be another traffic jam in Ireland. Congestion can become an unpleasant memory for the people of Ireland." Just like the trees and habitat they nurture.

Directions etc from Dublin Friends of the Earth: 0035 31497 3773/3734
website: http://www.emc23.tp/glen/news.htm

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