Demonstration calls for re-opening of Shannonbridge Power Station

A BIG crowd of turf cutters from across the midlands attended the Turf Cutters of Éire demonstration at Shannonbridge Power Station on Sunday afternoon.
Seamus Wynne, PRO of Turf Cutters of Eire, told the Midland Tribune that the demonstration was being held in order to maintain people's right to continue to cut turf “so we can heat our homes and cook our meals”.
He said the group also believes that Shannonbridge Power Station should be re-opened “to prevent extreme energy poverty for all of us living in Ireland during this energy crisis”.
The demonstration lasted an hour and was peaceful and good humoured, but focussed and determined, throughout. The only politician to attend was Deputy Carol Nolan.
It is difficult to correctly estimate the number in attendance at demonstrations, but there could have been 200 to 300 people in attendance on Sunday.
Seamus Wynne spoke about asserting property rights. He strongly advised everyone present to be assertive about their property rights and not meekly roll over.
He told the crowd about a court case involving Willie East in 1959. “Willie was a farmer but he didn't have the necessary insurance, therefore he was done for bringing turf to a neighbour. Willie appealed the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that turf was an agricultural product therefore Willie was within his rights. What we all want to know is does that Supreme Court statement contradict EU law?”
Seamus said state agencies are using drones to discover if people are illegally cutting turf. He said if you own a tract of land, “then it's your land and no one can prevent you from cutting turf.” He strongly advised every farmer and landowner to put up No Trespassing signs on their land. He held up the sign they should put up.
“You have your rights. Speak out about them. Silence is consent. If too many people remain silent then it's taken as consent by the establishment.”
He claimed RTE is a “propaganda channel”. He said we are being told that 40% of the nation's electricity is coming from wind farms. “In fact it's about 4%!”
He advised them to mention whenever possible the Supreme Court ruling of East v The State “when Willie East proved in the Supreme Court that peat is an agricultural product and you are entitled to sell your product. Does EU law post-1973 supersede the Supreme Court directive of 1959? This is a very difficult question and many politicians are running away from it.
“We are getting all these fancy speeches from politicians but the reality is very different on the ground.”
Shane Lynam of the Irish Freedom Party quoted the Irish seanfhocal, 'Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin'. For centuries, he said, the heart of any home in Ireland was the open fire, the hearth. “Now we are being told the old ways are backward. We have been overrun by the hollow promises of globalism. What has globalism done for us? It has made us lurch from crisis to crisis over the decades. Things seem out of sync and we have reeled from one crisis to another. Today's crises are housing and energy.
“The people of Ireland resisted globalism. For example in 2008 we said no to the Lisbon Treaty. We were told by the globalists, Have a think about it – vote again – and we did. We have to ask ourselves the question, when all is said and done is the EU good for Ireland? Do the positives outweigh the negatives?
“The toadying and bootlicking by the globalist toadies is embarrassing. They are tripping over themselves to be the best boys in Europe. The sight makes me sick to my stomach.
“Thanks to globalism and its greed, globalism in the midlands of Ireland is causing significant damage. There's the cost of living crisis; businesses are closing; I've been told that a lot of work practices, in a de-Unionised world, are not great.
“For years Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael clung to power. This time they have made a fatal mistake. They have let the Green Party into government, who are dictating terms because FF and FG need them onside.
“Meanwhile we are being told to buy Argentinian beef, Spanish carrots and German briquettes. Meanwhile, they have re-opened coal mines in Germany, while in Scotland they are cutting down trees to make way for wind turbines.
“As this is going on, rural communities and villages throughout Ireland are not getting the attention they deserve, with the result that the life is being sucked out of them.
“They are trying to erode our sense of identity. They want to involve us in foreign wars.
“We will not be sold off. This is our country, our destiny.”
Jackie Flannery from Irish Rural Association said her group is “fighting for the right to continue to cut our turf on what is our private property.” She said she pointed her finger at Minister Eamon Ryan on TV, “and I will do it again and again until he gets the message, which is, Go away and leave us in peace. They recently tried to blame rural Ireland for a rise in deaths, but it is the traffic and industry in Dublin which has caused the decline in health and rise in deaths. The Green Party wanted us to stop cutting turf completely – no compromise. I've been told they are going to try and change the constitution to take away our property rights – so, don't be fooled because there's a lot going on behind the scenes and it's not good.
“Only 681 houses have been retrofitted. Their target per year was 62,500.
“It's going to cost me €160,000 to retrofit my old farmhouse. I can't afford that. Most of us can't. The government, in its retrofitting policy, is putting the cart before the horse.
“I have also recently learned that the government might be introducing a tax on people's chimneys. I really hope that's fake news.
“Shannonbridge Power Station was operating since 1965. It was a vital part of this community. The government didn't care about any of that. They said they were going to convert the station to biomass, and then they suddenly changed their minds and closed the place down. Again, there's stuff going on behind the scenes at the moment about the Station.”
She said a planning application to demolish the power plant has been made.
“We are not totally against the Green agenda. We fully accept that we have to meet a certain amount of it. But we shouldn't be forced to do it. It shouldn't set rural communities back. It should only be what our communities can cope with. We are fed up of being dictated to by people who are unsympathetic towards rural Ireland.”
She spoke of the thousands of tonnes of peat coming from abroad for the horticultural industry in Ireland.
She urged the people of rural Ireland to ditch their apathy, their non-action, and take action.
She urged them to place the No Trespassing signs on their land thereby asserting their property rights (and by extension the right to cut turf) and to regularly contact their TDs about the issues. She praised Deputy Carol Nolan for championing their cause. “We need more people like her in the Dáil. Because she's Independent she can speak her mind, whereas a lot of the other politicians are beholden to the Party Whip and therefore can't speak their mind.”
She said the Green Party is holding its Annual Convention in Athlone next weekend. “We should go and give them a warm welcome!”
“For God's sake lads, stay footin' and cuttin' and don't mind the Greens. Just let them off, ignore them.”Deputy Nolan said in a world of justice this demonstration wouldn't be necessary. “But when it comes to standing up for our rights we won't be found wanting. Too many organisations and groups in Ireland are simply rolling over and not asking questions.” She said she cut turf when she was growing up. She said she wouldn't make false promises or only say nice words; she promised to take action. “No Party Whip should stop any politician from standing up for his or her constituents. Change is badly needed.”
She said farmers were asked to reduce their herd and cut emissions by 25%, but the aviation industry wasn't similarly dictated to.
She said it was wrong that people were being criminalised. “I see my neighbours being criminalised, who have been cutting turf for generations.
“We are a sovereign nation. People fought and died for our rights. The resources of this nation are for the people of Ireland; no one else.
“There is no doubt that the Green Party is getting too much of its own way, but they are being enabled by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.”
She said she wants to see the re-opening of the Power Stations at Lanesboro and Shannonbridge. And she wants to see the exploration of the Barryroe Gas and Oil Field off the coast of Cork. She wants to see the development of Shannon LNG.
The Deputy called on everyone to let their TDs know of their situation. “The situation has reached crisis point. Rural people are being demonised and criminalised.”
She urged everyone to “Keep her lit.”