Supreme Court calls time on Whoopers’ feeding grounds

Seamus Heaney expressed his concerns over the proposed routing of the A6 through the Lough Beg wetland landscape. He was disheartened that Ireland’s most important population of wild swans was seen as ‘just being Lough Beg swans’. He valued this inspirational wetland and celebrated it in his poetry. On World Wetlands Day in February actor Stephen Rea, a friend of the Heaney family, said: “What is going to happen to the ecology of the place? These wetlands are extremely precious. Not just for us but for our grandchildren, for the future of the planet. It is so random, there are other routes this road could take. It has become a standoff between people who feel seriously about this and politicians who like to see their way being carried out. It is time all political parties were made aware of this. It is not in one party’s interest to do it, it is in the interest of everyone not to do it.” The Supreme Court announced its decision not to hear the case on 15 March. With flocks of hundreds of wintering Whooper swans still present, work on the contested route began immediately. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) did not oppose the construction start date of 15 March despite stating previously, to quote RSPB: “It was important that the Whoopers were left undisturbed towards the end of the season as they needed to ‘fuel-up’ for their return migration to Iceland.” Last year significant numbers of Whooper Swans were present in mid-April. Chris Murphy, the litigant in person who initiated legal proceedings has vowed to continue the fight for the protection of this precious wetland and priceless cultural landscape. The European Commission's expert environmental lawyers are currently examining the case. We remain hopeful.