Over 300 farmers and landowners travelled to Louth County Council buildings in Dundalk today (Friday, August 30) to submit petitions and show their concerns about the proposed Carlingford to Dundalk Greenway.
Tractors, cars and lorries lined the streets before representatives from convoy met with the chair of Louth County Council, Cllr. Kevin Callan, who took the petitions from the protestors.
Over 2,300 farmers and landowners alike have signed a petition against the greenway development plans by Louth County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
Louth IFA county chair, Kevin Sweeney attended the protest and said that many “small family farms” would be impacted by the proposed plans.
He said that the study area for the Carlingford to Dundalk Greenway includes around 11,500ac of agricultural lands and 128 farmyards.
Sweeney said that greenways should be predominantly on State-owned public lands and avoid impacting on private farmland.
A dairy farmer that joined the convoy, Michael John Hanlon told Agriland that according to one of the proposed routes for the greenway, it would run right through his family farm, making it “impossible” to continue milking cows.
“There has been feasibility studies done out and there hasn’t been one dairy farm mentioned.
“To my knowledge, there are eight dairy farms in the locality of all the proposed routes. They will also have to stop milking cows if this greenway goes ahead,” Hanlon said.
From farming on the Cooley peninsula, Hanlon said that his neighbouring farmers “do not want a greenway” and “just want to be listened to”.
Co. Louth greenway
An organiser of the convoy today, Matthew McGreehan said that before the end of the consultation, landowners will continue to put “pressure” on the council.
He said that the “threat” of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) is “hanging over” landowners, and that they aim to “stop” the proposed plans.
“What would the old people say if they came back and there was a gravel path going through the fields where they once gathered spuds and tended turnips of their knees and everything else? There is not a chance in the world that we will allow this to happen,” McGreehan said.
A second public consultation is currently underway with the closing date for submissions extended to September 6, 2024.