Carnalway 'war' escalates

The ongoing contretemps between a landowner at Carnalway and people from the area who are fighting to recover a long-standing right of way on the river side there was wound up up yet another step last week.



It seems that, despite a recent erection of a metal spike-tipped fence behind the original wooden one, the hot spell drew more swimmers and picnickers to their traditional venue.

And somewhere along the line, the Diary has been told, a way was made around the end of the metal fence so that the people could get to the swimming spot closed by the landowner last year.



Now a new gate has been erected to make it impossible to reach the river right by the bridge, from where the recent access had been made possible.



In addition, the metal fence has been topped with razor wire, and the fence itself has been coated with what appears to be some kind of grease, presumably to make scaling it even more difficult.



The Diary has also been informed that legal papers have been served on the landowner, consequent to a court challenge being mounted by local people. The landowner has been asked to 'enter a defence' prior to the case going ahead.

No more than in Lebanon today, it appears that our local 'war' over boundaries is ratcheting up inexorably, inevitably, and ever so sadly.

Brian Byrne.