Farmers have vowed to oppose any attempts to seize their land at the Cliffs of Moher after a report advised that the local council take ownership of walking trails at the famous tourist attraction.
A draft report on the future management of a walking trail along the famous cliffs has recommended that Clare County Council explore all options to secure the scenic walkway and manage the amenity, RTÉ reported.
But farmers say this is "bullying," with one remarking that it was like John B Keane’s "The Field."
Sections of the 11km trail have been closed to walkers since last year because of safety concerns and will remain shut for the coming tourist season.
Now the report – which said the council should consider the use of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) – has sparked anger among the farmers who own land along the trail because of its "threatening" tone.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is strongly opposed to the proposals in the report, prepared by Tobin engineers for Clare County Council.
IFA president Francie Gorman said: "This is nothing short of an attempt to intimidate and bully the landowners and will be resisted outright.
"Many years ago, landowners on the Cliffs of Moher agreed to allow a permissive walk through their lands and they are now being threatened with a CPO."
At 214m tall, the sheer cliffs near Doolin are an extremely popular tourist destination that attracts around 1.5 million visitors a year. A walking trail opened in 2012 with the agreement of the farmers and landowners along the route.
Farmer and tour guide Pat Sweeney, whose land includes some of the proposed cliff walk, described it as "one of the most fantastic trails not being biased by any means.."
He told Extra.ie: "Back in 2007, 2008 we negotiated a walkways scheme package with… the Department for Rural Development that meant farmers would get a minimum payment to open up their land, put a trail through their land and we decided to do it here in Doolin.
"I have two farms of land on the trail. We opened up our farm, we signed up for the contract, but why would someone like myself give permissive access for a walk back in 2010 or ’11 when we signed it if I thought it would lead to a CPO now?"
He continued: "The council has brought in the consultants about two years ago to draw up a draft plan for the whole Cliffs of Moher coastal walk because it started to get very busy… It has recommendations in it to deal with the farmers whatever it may be, maybe a leasing agreement.
"But the fact that they mentioned 'CPO' in that holding report, that’s a serious problem for the farmers, that’s a threat for sure, like a gun to the head.
"The holding report was leaked and before we knew anything about it, it made major headlines in the local paper here in Co. Clare, The Clare Champion."
Cliffs Of Moher, Co Clare. (Ireland's Content Pool)
Fellow farmer Tom Lane, who has been leading negotiations on behalf of landowners over the trail, called on Clare County Council to withdraw the CPO threat from the draft report.
"Instead, they should engage constructively with the farmers and the IFA so an appropriate and effective arrangement can be agreed on the Cliffs of Moher coastal walk which reflects the scale of up to 1.5million tourists and estimated revenue of €19 million annually," he said.
"On the Cliffs of Moher, as a direct consequence of facilitating the walkway and making it a success through permissive access, landowners are facing the threat of a CPO. This is wrong and a complete abuse of power."
He added: "The last thing you want as you sit down to negotiate is for the other side to be able to just take what they want at whatever price they claim is right for themselves.
"I don’t think there’s any farmers in this country that would be able to participate with a project like this with a CPO hanging over their heads."
Mr. Lane said the land has been in his family for six generations or "about 200 years."
"So it’s in the blood, 100%," he added. "When you get someone coming in to CPO your land, my God that can anger people going well beyond the grave.
"The way my people, my father, my mother, my grandfather, grandmother, the way they worked the land there to bring it up to the standard that I can farm here now, through very tough and simple times…
"We’ve all seen 'The Field,' that was an American coming in, now we have our local government coming in, it’s similar."
The final draft of a consultant’s report into the walking trail, known as the Tobin Report, is due to be published soon.
Farmers currently receive €14 a metre each year for public walking trails on their land.
Mr. Lane added: "The mention of a CPO in that holding report… We as farmers on the Cliffs of Moher, there are 38 of us here including myself, we are very disappointed to see this in the Tobin Report coming out."
Farmers along the cliff walk are instead looking for the council to take out a long-term lease for the public walk while the farmers retain ownership.
The council’s draft report has not yet been officially published.
Underlining the depth of farmers’ anger at the inclusion of a CPO option as a way to take over the land, Mr. Lane added: "It should have just said, 'You need to sit down with meaningful negotiations and come to a conclusion to keep an existing trail open,' not the threat of a CPO."
Cliffs of Moher, Co Clare. (Ireland's Content Pool)
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A spokesman for Clare County Council said: "As the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk Management Plan, or the so-called Tobin Report, is still a draft and not signed off by the relevant partners, Clare County Council cannot comment on the report at this stage.
"The local authority does acknowledge, however, the upset to landowners following the leaked report of the initial draft, with much of the attention from the leaked report focusing on the possible use of CPO.
"This is never the preferred option of Clare County Council who remain committed to continue working with local landowners in the area to ensure a walk can ultimately exist from Doolin to Hag’s Head.
"Clare County Council looks forward to engaging and discussing future plans for the Cliffs of Moher walk with all interested parties following the publication of the final report."
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
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