Anti-road protesters told Glen tree-houses to be removed

Duchas, the Heritage Service, has announced that it is to remove the remaining treehouses erected by the anti-road protesters at the Glen of the Downs in Co Wicklow, effectively winding up the "Save the Trees" campaign.

With virtually all the trees which were earmarked for removal already down, many of the anti-road protesters in jail and the nature reserve officially closed, a Duchas senior ranger, Mr Anthony McElheron, has told the remaining protesters, "as a matter of courtesy but not for discussion", that the remaining tree-houses would be coming down "sooner rather than later".

Mr McElheron's announcement comes three years - almost to the day - since the first treehouses were erected in the glen in response to Wicklow County Council's £36 million road-widening scheme for the N11 as it passes through north Wicklow.

It is 10 years since the first letters were written to the council protesting at plans to widen the road, making the glen campaign the State's longest-running environmental campaign.

Many of the protesters have now given the court undertakings that they will refrain from trespassing on Duchas or council lands, although some, including the long-time campaigner Mr Mike Hammond, who was arrested last week, have refused and remain in jail.

Another long-time campaigner, Mr Aidan Corcoran, who received permission from the court to visit the glen to meet Mr McElheron at the weekend, has revealed that he is to go on a tour, promoting "sustainable development" and raising funds for environmental projects.

"I'm going on a sponsored tour of the country, addressing people on green policies and sustainable development," he said, displaying his new energy-efficient cycle to the press. "I'll be raising money to start community amenity woodlands - broadleaf indigenous trees, that sort of stuff."

He dismissed a suggestion that he enter the St Patrick's Day parade to publicise his new role. "The year before last they said that if we didn't get away from the parade we would be arrested under the Lunacy Act."

Another protester said she too was going on a speaking tour. "It's branching out, we have been invited to schools and communities all over the country to give talks on the glen and inevitably on the wider issue of sustainable development."

"In the meantime, there have been successes and failures, there's Mullaghmore and there's Kilcock," responded another. "And Bray Head," chipped in a woman, while a third mentioned the proposed Ashford bypass, also in Co Wicklow, as a project suitable for their attention.