WINDFARM OWNERS/WORKERS TRESPASSING

A letter that we received recently from a local land-owner:

It is absurd to see how national newspapers came out at the weekend to condone and sympathize with workers from other areas/countries who have come to the border counties and are violating the rights of local landowners.

As a local landowner let me explain what is happening without going into all the issues that will soon be before the courts. There are people driving through our lands that have no right to be there. We signed no contracts with strangers to desolate our properties. In some cases agreements made to extract rock are now being used to facilitate workers to tramp through our properties, while in other cases individuals have altered agreements illegally. In other areas workers are trampling across fields without even a pretense of having rights.

With great sympathy, it was reported that a vehicle burst its tyres as it sped through a field; what they forgot to add was that this vehicle had no right to be in those fields. It was private property!

Now what I would like to know is-- How would the media react if we went to France to the private property of Mantlin workers and drove through their gardens or fields or if we went to Belfast and did the same over the property of the Eastwood personnel?

The biased media coverage of what is going on in our properties currently smacks of O'Brien spin; he treated us like gombeens and bogmen when he was here but we are not going to be intimidated by bullies and have no intention of being walked over. Invaders will not gain control of our lands and have no authorization to be there. We feel justified in protecting our land.