Turf cutters association is set to lobby all MEPs

A meeting of the Irish Homesteaders Turf Cutting Association will take place in the Sliabh Beagh Tourism Centre at Knockatallon this Thursday (July 23) at 9pm. The new chairman of the association Padraig Murphy told The Anglo-Celt that this meeting is of concern to current occupiers of bog banks and landowners who have turbary rights in the North Monaghan and South Fermanagh areas. Their most recent meeting took place in Swanlinbar when the association was formed. The association now intend to lobby all the MEPs both North and South of the Border. Since the closure of the date for submissions to a working group moving to ban all turf cutting on bogs designated special areas of conservation (SACs) or national heritage areas (NHAs), the Irish Homesteaders Turf Cutting Association is now enforcing their voice throughout the community. Among the bogs affected are Slieve Rushen, west Cavan; Kilconny Bog (Cloughbally); Lough Crotty Bog and Levenakilla Bog in the Cuilcagh area; and a bog area separating Lough Kinale from Derragh Lough near Lough Sheelin in the Mountnugent area. Mr. Murphy said the association is openly inviting all public representatives to the meeting on Thursday night. Everybody is welcome that wishes to observe or make a contribution. "We are a political and a single issue association whose aims are and will remain that Irish turf cutters be left to practice their age old tradition of harvesting turf unhindered. "We believe that faceless bureaucrats are directing by stealth the eviction of Irish people from their bogs. This is driven low level scientific and academic bunkum. It is ironic to think at this time in our history, bureaucrats are attempting to drive people from the bogs. This act of 'on shore piracy' will not be tolerated. Irish people won't have the 'jolly roger' flying on their bogs," said Mr. Murphy. There will be many important dates in the future but one that prefixes all is the date of "never, never, never" and Irish people will never surrender their bogs, he added. "Although small in number our members are a significant group of people in more ways than one. With the rising cost of energy, turf is more important to homesteaders than ever and this should also be important in the context of the current Irish economy, and the action of those responsible for the economy should be seeking the reduction of imports." Mr Murphy says that it is a widely held belief by turf cutters that this is all a ploy to remove them from the bogs to enable the commercialisation of turf cutting at a future date. "People who chose to burn turf will then have to buy it at inflated prices which attract taxes and profits, and these are the rewards for those planning this devious scheme," alleged Mr. Murphy.