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Mid Ulster MP Francie Molloy at Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh facing an ecological disaster
Up
the Shore
i
The lough will claim a
victim every year.
It has virtue that
hardens wood to stone.
There is a town sunk
beneath its water.
It is the scar left by
the Isle of Man.
ii
At Toomebridge where
it sluices towards the sea
They’ve set new gates
and tanks against the flow.
From time to time they
break the eels’ journey
And lift five hundred
stones in one go.
iii
But up the shore in
Antrim and Tyrone
There is a sense of
fair play in the game.
The fishermen confront
them one by one
And sail miles out and
never learn to swim.
Iv
‘We’ll be the quicker
going down,’ they say.
And when you argue
there are no storms here,
That one hour
floating’s sure to land them safely –
‘The lough will claim
a victim every year.’
Seamus Heaney’s poem, published in 1969, captures
much of what makes Lough Neagh unique. It has long been a place of myth and fable,
where the palace of the Tuatha Dé Danann is supposed to lie beneath its waves.
It is said that Lough Neagh was created by the giant Finn McCool who legend
claims scooped out a huge chunk of earth and threw it after the Scottish giant
Benandonner. He missed and thus created the Isle of Man. Richard believes that
the Lough was created 400 million years ago as a result of
massive tectonic events.
People have lived and worked around the shores
of Lough Neagh for thousands of years. This is evident in the
huge number of artefacts and ruins. Stone axes have been found
at Toome and Shanes Castle. Neolithic pottery has also been
found at Newferry north of Toome.
In the ninth century the Lough was a base for a
Viking fleet as part of their efforts to occupy Ireland.
Following the English invasion of Ireland the
shores of Lough Neagh have witnessed many battles. It played a strategically
important role in the English defeat of the O’Neill and O’Donnell clans in the
late 16th century and in the subsequent plantation of Ulster.
The Lough is the largest fresh water lake in
Ireland. It is home to many rare plants, waterfowl and fish. It is bordered by
five counties – Antrim, Down, Armagh, Tyrone and Derry. For millennia it has
been at the heart of the local economy. A transport hub before roads and a
major source of fishing that has provided a living for the generations who have
lived around its’ almost 400 square kilometres. It is a significant cultural
and historic site and in more recent years a place for water sports and
relaxation for tens of thousands. It also provides 40% of the fresh water for
citizens living in the North.
Today all of that is under threat. Recent satellite
images have shown the extent to which a toxic blue green algae has infested the
Lough. Cyanobacteria is a danger to animals and humans. According to the Lough
Neagh Partnership climate change and the increased water temperature of the
Lough has created the conditions for this algae to thrive.
In addition millions of tons of sand have been
dredged from the floor of the Lough for building projects here and in Britain.
In an article by Tommy Green in The Detail last December he reported that
around 30% of the North’s “construction sand comes from Lough Neagh … Prior
to 2021, when extraction was unregulated, it is estimated that at least 1.1m
-1.8m tonnes were being dredged from the Lough every year…”
Sinn Féin team meet Lough Neagh Partnership
The Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative Society
warned last year that sand extraction was destroying habitat areas on the floor
of the Lough and that this was reducing the number of fish. The
impact of the climate crisis, the presence of a toxic algae, the incidence of
raw sewage and the dredging of the Lough floor and the destruction of that
critical underwater environment, mean that Lough Neagh is now facing an
ecological disaster.
With 40% of the North’s population relying on Lough
Neagh for fresh, clean water there is mounting concern that none of the
government departments are prepared for or appear willing to take the steps
necessary to protect this hugely important community and environmental asset.
Last week First Minister designate Michelle
O’Neill, Francie Molloy MP, Declan Kearney MLA and Philip McGuigan MLA met with
the Lough Neagh Partnership. Later Declan Kearney led a political and
community delegation, including Philip McGuigan, locally based councillors,
fishermen, anglers and the Lough Neagh Partnership, to meet senior
officials of the NI Environment Agency and Inland Fisheries.
The message is clear. As Mid Ulster MP Francie
Molloy said: “The situation is untenable. The Lough needs to be brought into
public ownership and managed by a community partnership.” This
must include the bed of the Lough which is currently owned by an absentee
British Earl who receives royalty payments for every tonne of sands extracted
from the bed of the Lough.
There is also an urgent need for a comprehensive
and co-ordinated action plan to tackle the toxic algae. A multi-agency and
inter-departmental task force is a priority. Public ownership will facilitate a
clear management structure to provide immediate and long-term plans to keep the
Lough safe and sustainable for future generations.
When I was a young lad a gang of us from Ballymurphy led by Joe Magee
used to walk to Lough Neagh and spend the day there. Decades later in Long Kesh
some of us used to feast on Lough Neagh eels sent to us by the bucket full. The
story of Lough Neagh is an integral part of the story and history and
environment of the island of Ireland. The ecological crisis it currently faces
arises from the actions of human beings. It is our responsibility to change
that.
Michelle O'Neill with the Gerry Darby of the Lough Neagh Partnership
Tory backing for Pinochet
Many of my generation will remember the military
coup in Chile in September 1973 that overthrew the socialist President of Chile
Salvador Allende. The images of the bombing of the Presidential Palace, of an
armed and courageous Allende defending the building and the quickly emerging
reports of brutality by the Chilean military, horrified many around the world.
The coup was led by General Augusto Pinochet in
collusion with the CIA. In the years that followed Chile became a byword in
summary executions, torture and repression. Almost 20 years later when the
regime fell a truth commission revealed that 40,000 people had been tortured,
200,000 had been forced to flee the country and at least 3,000 were
killed.
The British government led Edward Heath strongly
supported the junta. Foreign Secretary Alec Douglas Home wrote that: “For
British interests … there is no doubt that Chile under the junta is a better
prospect … and the sky-high price of copper (important to us) should fall as
Chilean production is restored.” One third of Britain’s copper imports
came from Chile. Allende’s nationalisation of the copper industry in July 1971
had been condemned by the USA and Britain.
The Labour government that followed Heath imposed
sanctions on Chile but during Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as Prime Minister she
restored diplomatic relations; authorised visits by British Ministers to Chile;
and lifted the arms embargo. Hundreds of members of the Chilean armed forces
were trained by the British and in September 1982 the Thatcher government
refused to support a motion at the UN condemning Pinochet’s human rights
abuses. British political and economic interest once again trumped human rights
and international law.
In October 1998 Pinochet was arrested in London.
Not surprisingly Margaret Thatcher campaigned hard to secure his release. He
was returned to Chile in March 2000. By their friends we will know them.
Siúlóid An Taoisigh.
This
column had a great day out in Derryat The Chieftain’s Walk organised
by The Martin McGuinness Peace Foundation and Martin’s family led by his wife
Bernie. There was a similar event in New York. Well done to all involved. It
was good to meet many of Martin’s old friends and to walk the ground he trod on
many, many times. Despite the rain there was a great turn out.
New York
Derry
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