An Achill Island businessman who is alleged to have taken stones from a Blue Flag beach and shipped them to Britain for sale in garden centres gave a sworn as well as a written undertaking to a judge yesterday.
Mr Thomas Lynchehaun, of Sandybanks, Keel, told Judge Mary Devins that he would not remove any beach material from Keel strand. His solicitor, Mr Dan Hurley, said that the undertaking did not amount to any admission of guilt on his client's part, but from the point of view of his "civic responsibility" he was prepared to give it.
Mayo County Council had sought an order under the Foreshore Act 1992 to restrain Mr Lynchehaun from removing material from Keel strand. Yesterday, Mr Lynchehaun told Judge Devins that he had never taken stones from the beach. He said stones in his possession were available in any garden centre in the UK and Ireland. He bought stones all over the place.