Submission on Greenore Port Development

louth | history and heritage | press release Monday April 23, 2007 10:38 by Archbishop Hynes - Greenore Cooley Fisherman's Association

GCFA Submission

Greenore Port Development infringes on rights of Fisher people at Greenore if public are barred from the Cutting Area and the adjacent sea area due where a 300m berth is been invisaged

Greenore Cooley Fisherman’s Association (GCFA) 1970 -Present
Secretary: Sean Crudden BSc H Dip Ed
Jenkinstown Dundalk Co Louth E-mail: sean.crudden@iol.ie http://clik.to/GCFA

Monday, 23 April 2007

Sophia Gilloway
RPS Consulting Engineers
Elmwood House
70 Boucher Road
Belfast BT12 6RZ
E-mail: Sophia.Gilloway@rpsgroup.com

Dear Ms Gilloway et al

Submission in relation to Greenore Port Project by GCFA

We are a group interested in fishing rights for all our members in an area that stems from Carlingford Lough an area of water that exists between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland and also Dundalk Bay in Co Louth, the Republic of Ireland. We ruled these waters for the Nomadic Fisher people since 1970 unhindered by either Irish or British Governments until the Anglo Irish Agreement when both Irish and British Jurisdictions fisheries departments started making laws imposing on our sovereignty while they both Irish & British Governments have no Jurisdiction within their Courts of Justice. It is worth pointing out: a Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that the Irish court had no jurisdiction within the Carlingford Lough.
Our aim is:
To promote social and economic opportunities of members as well as being protective to the environment and its populace!
Objectives:
• To develop markets for fish
• Promote sea angling facilities
• Preserve rights on shore of respective members
• Preserve mooring area for fishing boats of members
• Assist new members learn develop new and present fishing skills
• Allow members to store fishing vessels and gear on their associations’ property. (The Cutting and “The Battery” Ballagan used since 1970 by us for servicing our gear etc)
Membership:
The association is non political & non sectarian, with membership open to all citizens of Ireland both north & south. Members may be required to pay a fee as the committee shall determine from time to time
In respect of consultation @ Greenore Assembly Rooms in Co Louth on Wednesday and Thursday respectively 18th and 19th of April 2007 we in GCFA see many problems that infringes on our rights which we have claimed since 1970 as a fisherman’s association.

We have claimed the area known as “The Cutting Book 112 No 11” to service and store fishing boats, vehicles and fishing gear. Your [development] plan as it is would mean we can no longer have access to such area. We strongly object to you obstructing our access of which we have had since before 1970. This land was what is termed “Disowned Land” since 1870.

Adjacent to The Cutting (on the seaward side) below the continental shelf running approximately from the old Lifesaving Pole to the former Greenore lighthouse to the east direction on the Carlingford Lough we have precious lobster ground and moorings for vessels. Archbishop Michael D Hynes (then Michael Desmond Hynes) has had moorings there since 1970 from where the present slipway is right up to and above where the tide ebbs on spring tides to the Life Saving Pole and Firemount. The proposed 300m berths blocks out our mooring area. Dr Hynes was the sole member that fished this area Adjacent to Greenore beach. Six mooring have been granted permission by GCFA to moor there by the GCFA. As well a mooring that ebbs off Firemount would be lost if the Greenore Port Proposal goes ahead in its current format. Also there is a sand bank where our members from time to time dig up eels for bait not forgetting those members who gather periwinkles who will lose out if a 300m quay is put in place. The GCFA have objected to their powers been eroded in respect of Lough Foyle/Carlingford Lough legislation being passed in Dail Eireann and have lodged an objection with President Mary McAleese dated 5th June 2002. We have a letter confirming the letter was received date the 26th June 2002 from Secretary to the President. The act has not been passed to date as subsequent enquiries should reveal.

In Brief:

Most of our members will have major problems if local channels west of the Barr Lighthouse are blocked for crossing due to shipping coming into 300m linear quay area as many of the smaller boats are not safe for Barr tidal conditions except possibly only at slack water when then the channel may/would be busy with ships coming in and out of both Greenore and Warrenpoint.

Your plan suggests the Cutting area will be blocked off night and day meaning we will have no access to our area on the Cutting to store vessels in winter as well as fishing gear. Presently we have been negotiating with GRTT Ltd who has drawn up plans at our request for a more environmentally friendly area which caters for fish people, Boat storage and fishing gear, day trippers, picnickers etc.

To Conclude:

We object to the proposed development as it infringes on our rights of mooring, storing gear and boats, fishing ground, freedom of navigation coupled with its impact on our environment and residents with much noise from container activity affecting wild life settlements and excessive volume of traffic that conflicts having negative impact on nature and especially the Special Area of Conservation and Natural Heritage Area and its hinterlands. As well our swimming area would be taken away with the Proposed LO-LO and Ro-Ro Development off Firemount means our member’s will witness a mass transformation as historical sites are taken from us such as the Cutting Area and all its natural amenities that go along with in favour of an {iron curtain} structure or no go area such as in the “Proposed LO-LO and RO-RO Development” which is a disaster for local community and wild life in terms of noise, traffic and general disturbance. Amen. ___________________________________________________________

Signed by: + M D Hynes Archbishop +M D Hynes OMA PhD Chairperson dated: 21st April 2007