'Reclaim Carnalway' fight to continue

The Brannockstown and district protest against the fencing off of a right of way at Carnalway is to continue, as preparations are ongoing towards taking a court case against the landowner.



At the AGM of Brannockstown Community Council, a packed hall of around 40 people were given a progress report of the legal challenge to the closing of the right of way at at Carnalway, by local solicitor Conor O'Toole, who said the community should continue to use the facility.

He said people should find some way of getting over the fence onto the right of way during the coming year, and that the landowner could not eject anyone from the longtime amenity area.

"It was a right of way when he bought the land, and he knew that," he said, noting that he and his children had used the area since the controversial fence was erected.



In response to a query from the participants, another local landowner said he now looked at casual walkers on his own land in a different way than he used to.

"All my life we had fishermen, scouts and girl guides using the land, and as long as they cleaned up after themselves we didn't mind," Dick Jeffers said. "But that was then, and today is now, and I'm not nearly so happy with such situations. If I see somebody on the land now, I'll make it my business to hail them and find out where they're from and where they're going."

Funding raised for the legal challenge has now well exceeded €7,000 and a cheque from the Kilcullen Trout & Salmon Anglers Association was presented to the fund on the night of the meeting.

While Conor O'Toole is providing his services gratis, the money is needed to indemnify the Attorney General against any costs that might be incurred in the case.

John Brady and Steve Schwer asked if those attending the meeting were in full support of the six locals, including themselves, who had 'put their names on the block' to take the case on the community's behalf.

A show of hands indicated unanimous support.

The council's committee chairman Pastor Robert Dunlop reminded the meeting that the committee 'gets no pleasure' from the situation.

"We never wanted to take the case," he said, indicating that it was a last resport when negotiations with the landowner proved fruitless.

Brian Byrne.