The proposed M20 Limerick to Cork motorway route would have a dramatic effect on her farm and on the surrounding landowners, according to farmer and trainee solicitor Rose Keating.
“For my family, it would have a dramatic effect on us. I grew up as a child on this farm and have many special memories. I will always remember my dad telling me the story of when I was two and managed to go out to a paddock nearby the house and end up sleeping beside a brood mare,” she said.
“I have been working on the farm since I was a little girl. We would not have such a beautiful place and successful business if it wasn’t for my dad and mam and the generations before us who have put years of hard work into the business.
Dad sadly passed away suddenly last year. He put a lifetime’s work into the farm and brought it from his father’s time into the 21st century. He reseeded fields and put down all new fencing along with many new farm buildings.
“Our farm has been in our family for generations, like many other landowners that surround the area and you cannot buy history. Our farm is a mixture of dairy cattle and dry cattle and most of our land is fairly good.
“The most unique thing about our farm is that it is in one block and it is getting harder to come across a big acreage of land in one block. There are also surrounding landowners, stud farms and estates which are similar to our farm that have big acreages. These farms need to be preserved. We will never see the likes of these farms again,” Rose said.
Never be the same
“We produce the best of cattle, crops and horses from these farms. For our farm and surrounding landowners, we would not be able to milk dairy cows on the farm if this motorway was to go ahead. It is taking a huge acreage from our farm and completely dividing it in two. It would never be the same again,” she contended.
The parish of Manister, Rose said, is one that has huge historical and archaeological features that would feel the effect.
“There is the beautiful Torrie Hill and Torrie Hill Lake which caters for numerous species of wildlife which is so important for the environment. There are poems and sayings that have derived from Torrie Hill and this is a very important feature that we want preserved.
“We feel the motorway would have a massive impact on the wildlife. Along with this we have a holy well that flows down into our farm from Grange Hill. This also needs to be preserved as it has huge history to it. There are also people buried in Grange Hill and there was an old church here and this cannot be interfered with,” said Rose.
“Along with this, we feel that the parishes of Manister and Crecora would be completely divided in two. We have a very close-knit community and everyone is so friendly and helps out one another.
“For a lot of people in the parish, they are losing their homes. These are homes that many people have worked hard for and have put their life into along with so many important memories. If it was to go through this route it would destroy numerous houses that have only been built in the last five years which doesn’t make any sense,” she said.
The motorway would also have an effect on the local school and community, according to Rose. “Our school would see a huge decline in numbers along with the population of the area in general. Personally, I think that they should widen the road that is currently there as this would make the most sense.
‘Want our voices heard’
“We as a community are strongly opposing this and want our voices heard. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2021, and if anyone has any difficulties with the online submission they can also write into the N/M20 project office, Lissanalta House, Dooradoyle, Limerick, V94 H5RR.”
A spokesperson for Limerick County Council told AgriLand that the local authority did not wish to make any comment on the matter at present.