A public meeting will take place in Askamore Community Centre tonight, (Tuesday), at 8 pm which is being described as “an action meeting.”
This comes about as local tensions are rising in communities across North Wexford and over the Wicklow border as progress is made on the Grid Link Project – an electricity transmission scheme linking Leinster and Munster – connecting power stations at Cork with Great Island, near Campile, and Kildare linked by a 400 kV power line that will be constructed through central Co. Wexford.
Jim Martin says that there will be quite an enormous campaign, not just here, but linked up with the other corridors from Kilcullen to New Ross through to Cork, together with NEPP (the Meath -Tyrone protest group) as well as other groups like the Mayo Pylon alliance.
Shell to Sea did not have a wide enough project to get a National or wide enough active campaign; it impacted on too small an area. “But this has much wider coverage and already there are strong groups established that we are piggy-backing on and making strong alliances with,” said Mr. Martin.
“The campaign here will also be very strong in itself.
“We will be getting individuals within the corridor to write their own letters to EirGrid and to political people; as well as groups, activity groups etc.
“We will also be targeting people outside the corridors – people like your readers in Gorey, Ferns, Camolin, Enniscorthy.
“Although it does not affect them in nearly the same way, and possibly not really much at all, their voice is as important as ours.
“We cannot let decisions keep being made and foisted on people even when it is clearly unhealthy and detrimental to the quality of life in so many ways.”
Although a definite decision on the route has yet to be taken, the optional corridors have been made public by EirGrid, and a number of communities have held meetings to explore the effects of such and some campaigners are saying that the corridor will go through areas which “have already impacted environmentally, economically and socially by the development of wind farms.”
Already “information and feedback meetings” have been held and a Facebook page has been established.
The corridor is expected to travel close to Killanne, cross the River Slaney at Ballycarney, and the areas in North Wexford will include Tombrack, Ballyroebuck, Bolinrush, Donishall, Tombreane and Croneyhorn, over the Wicklow border.
Parents and children have participated in a protest at Ballyroebuck National School with placards proclaiming ‘No pylons here’.
On Facebook, it claims that D2 Grid Link proposes to erect pylons in the little field behind the school and about 150 metres from the buildings.
Locals are angry that the proposed corridor goes through the parish of Askamore, described as “a community who have actively worked together to develop local amenities and services, such as the children’s park, outdoor fitness park and the Sliabh Bhuí looped walks.”
Known as the D2 Grid Link, the corridor would be located very close to Carnew village, within about 600 metres of Coláiste Bhríde secondary school and 300 metres from Carnew National School.
It also runs close to the picturesque village of Shillelagh.
Full story in THE GOREY ECHO.
