Lough Beg: The Sacrificial Tapestry. Appeal Hearing & Decision 11th August.

Chris and Doris appear in court on the 11th August for the final hearing of their appeal against the government's decision to condemn this iconic part of Heaney heritage to an eternity of asphalt, motor bridges, slip road, service stations and ribbon development. The monstrosity (curiously ahead of schedule in its other phases, as the department presses ahead at break neck speed - in an attempt to put pressure on the judiciary system), is now salivating, like a rabid dog at the frontier of the Lough Beg Wetland. One of our most epic and serene landscapes and practically hidden from view, Lough Beg is one of the last great undisturbed wetlands in Ireland. Alive with some of the rarest species of plants and birds in Europe, with RAMSAR and SPA status, the migratory whooper swan (Global priority species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) has come to Lough Beg from Iceland for 80,000 years... to overwinter and to breed. A landscape that has nourished, obsessed and inspired perhaps the greatest literary figure of the twentieth century. The very landscape in which the thematic triumphs of Nobel Proze winning literature are located: Mossbawn, Anahorish, Lagan's Road, The Broagh, Creagh, The Strand at Lough Beg; places immortalized and defined by their very absence in motorways, now face that incomprehensible reality. Now more than ever we need to protect our last few wild places and our cultural heritage, because one thing is clear, our government won't. The appalling sequence of decisions and incompetence that has led our government to the verge of a £170 million act of combined culturicide and ecocide, on such hallowed ground has made us question what we really value in our society. A sacrificial tapestry? A killing of the goose that laid the golden egg? Judges will make that decision on the 11th August 2017. We must show our support and gratitude to the brave duo who are fighting this gruesome, sickening battle on their own and with every fibre of their being. More people in court means alot to Chris and Doris, but also lets the Judges and media see the public interest in this case. Last time so many people came we needed a bigger courtroom, all these things make a difference. Please come along. For those who have never been into the civil court- its the smaller one at Laganside with the garden and decorative metal gates in front of it. NOT the larger criminal court building that is opposite the waterfront. Simply go through security and they go to the Appeal Court- ask the desk and they will tell you were it is. If you are unable to make it but would like to support the campaign, please consider contributing to the crowdfunder (http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-heaney-country-lough-beg). The financial strain of taking such a case is incredible, and any donation is greatly needed. We remain confident.