Latest news with #Coillte
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Work on improvements to Sligo Way trail get underway
Sligo Drumcliffe Councillor Thomas Walsh has been calling for improvements to be made to the Sligo Way over the last number of says the trail is one of Sligo's hidden gems and that he was delighted that improvement works had started. Works include upgrade of the trail between Union Wood and Slishwood, 2.8km in total length. Repair of a 500-metre section will also take place. The route will be upgraded consisting of a trail width 1.8/2 metre wide with stone initially and a dust finish will follow. €200,000 was obtained for this work via the Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure Fund. 'I want to thank Sligo County Council engineering staff, in particular Ray O'Grady, Nicolas Harkin and Coillte General Manager, Brian Mc Garry. Cllr Walsh said: 'We haven't invested in the Sligo Way like we should have over years and I am delighted to see this progress. I will continue to work for more linkages to the trail and improved access and signage from its villages such as Collooney, Ballisodare, Ballygawley and Ballintogher. 'I look forward to seeing continued progress including the design of a new viewing area overlooking Lough Lumann which will hopefully go to planning stage in the coming months. The Sligo Way is an 80km national trail route that traverses the County of Sligo in the from Lough Talt to Dromahair in County Leitrim. Attractions along the Sligo Way include a crannog or early lake dwelling on Lough Talt, megalithic tombs, and WB Yeats's Lake Isle of Innisfree on Lough Gill, Easky Lough, Ballygawley Woods, Lough Lumman, Lough Gill and Slish Wood. Lough Lumann is a mountain lake adjacent to Sliabh Deane and can be found between Union Wood and Slish Wood along the trail.
Irish Independent
19-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Sustainable development plan for Mayo's Pontoon with ‘massive tourism potential'
Located between Lough Conn and Lough Cullin in North East Mayo, Pontoon used to be a busy spot. The area had two popular hotels, Healy's and Pontoon Bridge. Healy's Hotel suffered a fire and the building went derelict. In 2019 planning permission was granted to develop the building into a hotel, restaurant and bar, since the Covid pandemic work hasn't resumed on the site. Pontoon Bridge Hotel was built in the 1940s and extended in 2006. It was sold in 2017 and didn't reopen. Foxford-based councillor Neil Cruise, raised a motion at the monthly meeting of Mayo County Council and laid out his plan for the Pontoon area to bring it back to life. The area includes Drummin Woods, Lough Conn and Lough Cullin. Cllr Cruise told the meeting there is a distinct opportunity at the minute and referred to the Pontoon area as a 'sleeping giant' that has 'massive tourism potential'. Cllr Cruise described a 'new beginning' with forest company Coillte. The semi-state company is responsible for 44,000 hectares of forest lands around Ireland. Cllr Cruise said they are 'very interested in working with us'. He called for interest groups to come together to help: 'I feel it is time that we can all come together, Coillte, Parks and Wildlife, local development groups, farming and fishing interests, walking groups and local tourism promoters. 'We have the development of the Foxford to Pontoon greenway, the Knockmore to Pontoon trail, and Pontoon to Castlebar greenway as far as Healy's Hotel. We have the refurbishment of the six-arch bridge in Cuing Mór, we have the development of forest walks, the beaches and shores of Lough Cullin, of Pontoon Bay, Schoolhouse Bay, Healy's Bay, and Pontoon Bridge lake access'. Development groups in the area were said to be 'itching to go' but need help to pull everything together. Cllr Cruise is proposing that the council develop a LIFE project for the Pontoon lakes, similar to the Lough Carra LIFE project in Castlebar. Cllr Alma Gallagher seconded the motion, describing Pontoon's unused natural resources as a 'missed opportunity'. Cllr Gallagher raised the issue of a 'county imbalance' saying resources are being invested in the same areas, mainly Westport, Ballina and Castlebar. The Ballyhaunis-based councillor pointed out that the majority of Mayo's population live outside of those towns and said there needs to be substantial policy change because 'East Mayo is being left behind'. The motion was also supported by a further eight councillors including Cllr Al McDonnell. He congratulated Cllr Cruise on his motion and offered a helping hand. 'There is a threat to water quality in every fresh water course in Ireland. We got together some years ago in an effort to save Lough Carra. An application was made to the LIFE project in Europe, after tremendous negotiation and lobbying to Europe we succeeded in getting a grant for €5 million over five years. 'If you want any assistance with that, or if your group wants to meet us, I can put you on the mailing list and you're very welcome to come to one of our meetings and we'll introduce you to some of the people who were successful in relation to our application.' This article was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Taoiseach to attend Expo 25 following talks with Japan PM
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is attending Expo 25 in Osaka, Japan - a global exhibition of cutting-edge technology and industry which is expected to attract 28 million visitors over six months. 150 countries are participating in the Expo - with Ireland's multi-million euro pavilion focused on the theme that "Creativity Connects People." It comes as the Taoiseach and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held talks in Tokyo to discuss deepening trade links, bilateral relations and cybersecurity. Mr Martin said the Prime Minister was also aware of the challenges facing the Irish Government regarding its coastline, a reference to the fact that that around 75% of 550+ international subsea cables pass through or close to Irish waters. The overall theme for Expo 25 is 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives'. World exhibitions date back to 1851, have hosted the first demonstration of a telephone, the first live TV broadcast and produced such iconic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower. Expo 25 is being held on a dedicated 155-hectare site on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. The entire exhibition is surrounded by an elevated circular walkway, the Grand Roof, with three districts inside it. Ireland's pavilion is located in the Empowering Lives section, and the multiple exhibits seek to demonstrate the potential that creativity has to empower people to solve global challenges. Irish participation in Expo 25 has cost more than €16 million over the past three years, with the pavilion itself accounting for nearly €7 million of that total. Tánaiste Simon Harris told the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs recently that joining Expo 25 provides "an excellent platform for public diplomacy for Ireland, because Ireland remains relatively unknown among the wider Japanese public." The design of the Irish pavilion, which is located near the main entrance, combines Irish timber with Japanese building materials in the form of an abstracted Celtic spiral, or triskele, the ancient Irish motif dating back to Neolithic times, and used at sacred sites, such as Newgrange. The pavilion is clad in Irish-grown Douglas fir timber, provided by Coillte, which the architects from the Office of Public Works say echoes the wood of the nearby Grand Roof, and evokes a connection between Irish and Japanese craft. Outside the pavilion is located a monumental sculpture conceptualised by Joseph Walsh and sits in a landscape designed by Hiroyuki Tsujii, the custodian of the Karasaki Pine Tree. On the walls of the pavilion VIP space, located on the first floor, are specially framed 'Kwaidan Project' prints. These are an Irish-Japanese cultural collaboration of prints & photographs by 40 Japanese and Irish artists, inspired by Lafcadio Hearn's masterpiece 'Kwaidan'.
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Local GAA club among objectors to controversial north Mayo forestry plantation
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has granted permission for a 12.66-hectare forestry plantation consisting of 80pc sitka spruce and 20pc broadleaf at Carrownisky, Ballycastle. There has been widespread public opposition to the proposal, with public demonstrations and public meetings taking place there in recent days. A public meeting on Saturday heard calls for the development to be halted immediately and for a meeting with Coillte or the relevant government minister to resolve the matter. Local county councillor Jarlath Munnelly said there was 'a lot of concern' in the locality about the project. Cllr Munnelly said that locals were not against forestry but were strongly opposed to it being located near the GAA grounds and several houses. 'This is land that is suitable for farming, this is land that is not suitable for forestry,' the Fine Gael councillor told Midwest Radio. The Department of Agriculture's Forestry Appeals Committee (FAC) reinstated the forestry license on December 24, 2024 after considering three appeals. Planting of the site has already commenced, and the contractor is currently not on site. Thirteen submissions were made regarding the forestry license in 2022 prior to its approval. One of these submissions was from Ballycastle, whose grounds are located beside the proposed site. Eilis Ormsby, Chairperson of Ballycastle GAA Club, said the development could damage their training grounds due to potential flooding. ADVERTISEMENT The club, which competes in the Mayo Junior Championship, opened new a new clubhouse at Tom Langan Park in 2022. Ms Ormsby said the applicant had given 'undue regard' to the aesthetic impact on the clubhouse viewing area and the loss of natural light to the adjoining pitches. She warned that the development could potentially increase the club's insurance costs due to the risk of fire and flooding. 'The proposed afforestation would be an ideal habitat for wild animals such as foxes, deer and badgers, who are known transmitters of disease i.e., TB and as a habitat for deer could cause damaged to boundary fence and damage to our ground,' she added. Ms Conway concluded by saying that the club were 'very disappointed' that that they were not consulted with prior to the application being submitted to the Department of Agriculture. The appeals against the license listed various other concerns, including an increased number of midges, traffic issues, sediment runoff into a nearby river and the existing wet grassland being home to the marsh fritillary, a protected species of butterfly. Addressing these concerns, the Forestry Appeals Committee said that herbicide would be applied by ''spot spraying' thus not allowing any of the herbicide to become airborne and effecting air quality'. 'The site is stated to be improved agriculture land and DAFM do not consider afforestation on this land type to increase fire risk. It is stated that there is no evidence that an increase in biodiversity and wildlife will have an adverse effect on the farming community. The proposed project area is stated to be to the east of the Wild Atlantic Way thus not hindering any views,' it continued. The FAC said there would no increased flood risk for the GAA club as the development is located upstream from the club grounds. Road safety matters were said to be a matter for Mayo County Council and An Garda Síochána. The application was referred to Mayo County Council and no response was received. It was noted that the site fronts onto a public road and the level of traffic generated by the project would 'not be greater than current agricultural practice'. The matter was raised in the Seanad this week by Ballina-based Senator Mark Duffy, who called on Minister of State with special responsibility for forestry, Michael Healy-Rae, to meet the community to discuss the issue further. 'Communities like Ballycastle on the western seaboard and the Wild Atlantic Way have been decimated by depopulation but have very gracefully welcomed international protection applicants within the community and are trying to lead the regeneration of buildings and make them better places for emigrants to return to. Measures like this fly in the face of a community that is trying to lead strong regeneration,' said Senator Duffy.
Agriland
12-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
'No plans to transfer the national forest estate to NPWS'
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has said that he has 'no plans' to transfer Coillte's forestry holdings to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). In a parliamentary question this week (June 2025) People Before Profit-Solidarity TD, Richard Boyd Barrett asked Minister Heydon if he would consider the move 'to ensure that Ireland's forestry will be preserved for non-commercial use and biodiversity will be conserved'. Minister Heydon highlighted that Coillte was established as a commercial state company with private limited status under the Forestry Act 1988, to become custodian and manager of the national forest estate. The minister explained that a principal object of the company, set out in the Forestry Act, is to carry on the business of forestry and related activities on a commercial basis, and in accordance with efficient silvicultural practices. He said: 'The focus at the time when the company was established was to put the estate in the charge of a company that would realise its potential and support wood production. 'Coillte is currently managing 440,000 hectares of land, 7% of the total area of the Republic of Ireland. 'Coillte's role has evolved over time to reflect the company's important role in addressing the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the forestry sector and our rural economy,' Minister Heydon added. Minister Martin Heydon According to Minister Heydon, one-fifth of Coillte's forestry estate, or 90,000ha, is currently managed primarily for biodiversity. 'The current legislation governing the mandate of Coillte, together with government policy, the existing shareholder letter of expectations, existing national and EU legislation, along with Coillte's own strategic vision, ensures that climate action and the protection and enhancement of nature and biodiversity are integral to the company's role and operations,' the minister said. He also claims that Coillte has a long term 'ambition' to manage 30% of its estate primarily for nature and biodiversity. As a result, Minister Heydon said that he believes that Coillte's role as custodian and manager of the national forest estate should remain unchanged.
