Hedgerows Ireland has said that it will hold a “peaceful protest” tomorrow (Thursday, October 3) at a farm at Parkville, just outside Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
The purpose of the protest, the group said, is to ask horse breeder and business man John Magnier, owner of the nearby Coolmore Stud, to withdraw his application to demolish a farm courtyard at the protest location.
Hedgerows Ireland is also demanding that Magnier undertake to retain hedgerows, a lime kiln, a walled garden, trees, and a duck pond on the 65ac farm he recently acquired.
The group – which is a non-government organisation (NGO) set up to protest against hedgerow removal in Ireland – claimed that Magnier has “not responded to several letters…requesting a meeting to discuss his plans for the farm”.
“Our group has reason to believe that the hedgerows and landscape features are at imminent risk of removal, and the farm buildings in due course, if permission is granted by Tipperary County Council,” Hedgerows Ireland said.
The farm had been leased to dairy farmer John Hurley and his family for around 50 years. He had bid to buy the farm, along with dozens of others, but lost out to Coolmore Stud.
The group said that there are frequent sightings of owls, badgers, bats and several species of songbirds at the farm location.
Hedgerows Ireland said: “Our group…regrets that Coolmore has a policy of removing internal hedgerows from newly acquired farms for tillage creating mega fields of up to 100ac, a practice which is now widely regarded as environmentally and ecologically disastrous.
“We promote good hedgerow management practices which are consistent with profitable farming and are supported by farming organisations, Teagasc, [and] environmental NGOs.”
The group claimed to be supported by farmers who are “unable to purchase land in the Tipperary area and wider due to billionaire investment land purchase”.
Hedgerows Ireland
Separately, Hedgerows Ireland has said that it will be hosting ‘workshops’ over the coming months to share hedge laying skills in various parts of the island (in both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland).
There are two types of workshops, for ‘beginner’ hedge laying and ‘advanced’ hedge laying.
The upcoming events, attendance for which must be booked for in advance (and include a fee), are outlined below:
- October 13 – Ballymena, Co. Antrim (beginner);
- October 25 – Scariff, Co. Clare (beginner);
- November 16 – Clogheen, Co. Tipperary (beginner);
- November 23 – Derry, Co. Derry (beginner);
- November 23 – Monageer, Co. Wexford (beginner);
- November 30 and December 1 – Celbridge, Co. Kildare (advanced);
- January 11 – Monageer, Co. Wexford (beginner);
- January 25 and 26 – Celbridge, Co. Kildare (advanced).