Residents of towns and villages in the historic Boyne Valley region, famed for its rich heritage and flora and fauna, were appalled recently when Meath County Council granted permission to a meat processing company to dispose of 400,000 litres of waste water into the historic river every day.
A protest campaign called ‘Save the Boyne’ was started on social media to get this decision reversed and to protect this National Heritage Site, an area of special conservation and the source of drinking water for over 70,000 households.
‘Save the Boyne’ have held several meetings locally and a protest walk along the river banks but now they are raising the profile of their campaign to make this a national issue of concern to all right-thinking people in the country
The Boyne Valley area, Brú na Boinne, is known the world over as the cradle of civilisation in Ireland and megalithic sites such as Newgrange, Knowth and the Hill of Tara and others are thousands of years old and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
After decades of abuse the river itself is returning to its original self as a green belt of natural beauty that is home to an increasing variety of wildlife including otters, many species of fish such as trout and salmon, deer are a common sight along the river banks which are in constant use by hikers, kayakers and others
The message of the ‘Save the Boyne’ campaigners is simple and can be summed up as follows: “This area is far too valuable an amenity, to the country and to the world, to be putting its integrity at risk in any way.”
On Saturday July 30th the group is organising a protest walk called ‘Go with the flow’ along the banks of the Boyne. We will be coming together at Slane bridge from 1-2pm for a solidarity lunch/picnic organised by Peter Whelan.
“We’re calling on all concerned people to get involved in our Save the Boyne campaign” said activist and ‘Go with the flow’ organiser Margaret “Mog” Downey.
“Go with the Flow” is part of a series of awareness raising public protest walks, to preserve and improve the water quality of Ireland’s rivers. We are appealing the recent decision made by Meath County Council to grant Dawn Meats Ltd planning permission to pipe 400,000 litres of “treated” wastewater, DAILY into the River Boyne.
“At a recent biodiversity conference Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: ‘Destruction of nature cannot continue. “This will require vigilance of planners, local authorities, agricultural advisers and all manifestations of the State who have a hand in regulating interventions in our land, rivers, lakes, seas and air.’
“On the back of this quote, how is it even comprehendible that a multi-billion euro, private enterprise, is granted permission to discharge huge volumes of wastewater into a natural resource like the Boyne River?” asked Ms Downey.
“We have enough knowledge and awareness of the impact of environmental damage to know that preserving the integrity of our waterways is a gift to ourselves, future generations and so many other endangered species.
“Dawn Meats say the waste water they will be releasing into the Boyne will be clean to international best practice standards but, if it is that clean why don’t they recycle it and re-use it in their plant? Also, what happens when and if the wastewater treatment plant breaks down?
“Go with the Flow” is an opportunity for the people of Meath, Louth and further afield to act in solidarity. We want to send a clear message to the planning officers in An Bord Pleanála that we strongly oppose the decision made by MCC to grant planning permission to Dawn Meats.
” We are asking people who are concerned about the preservation of our countryside and our waterways to feel free to join “the flow” at your own pace and ease of location (on or off the river) Alternatively, if you’re not a walker/kayaker/swimmer bring a picnic to Slane at lunchtime and show solidarity.
Date – 30th of July
9.30am – Navan Ramparts 11.00am – Stackallen Bridge
1.00 – 2pm – Slane (picnic and community solidarity lunch – Contact Peter Whelan – mobile 0879419866)
3.45 – 4.30pm Bru na Boinne (coffee break)
6.30pm – Drogheda
Wear appropriate clothing/footwear and a high viz jacket for stints on the road. Bring a bottle of water, sunscreen and a picnic lunch.
