Road protesters to celebrate anniversary

Vigil-keepers at the Glen of the Downs in Co Wicklow are planning to mark the first anniversary of their confrontation with the county council over a road-widening scheme.

While some vigil-keepers have expressed impatience with the year-long wait for a hearing of their High Court action against the council, the camp leaders say it may be this time next year before the chainsaws return - if at all.

On January 14th last, county council workers began to cut down trees in the glen to make way for an £18.5 million road-widening scheme between Kilmacanogue and the southern end of the glen. This led to a standoff involving the protesters, the workers and gardai.

In a subsequent High Court appearance the county council undertook not to proceed with the felling pending the outcome of a judicial review, while the vigil-keepers pledged not to increase the size of their camp or to trespass further on lands required by the council.

Now the vigil-keepers are planning to mark the anniversary with a day-long series of activities for visitors and camp members in the glen on the 14th, and a Zen comedy night - "nobody laughs" - in the Horse and Hound Hotel in Delgany that evening.

Long-term resident Mr Mike Hammond says the mood at the camp is generally very good. "The next court date is February 23rd and we are hoping that the case will be heard then.

"Even if we lose, by the time the judgment is studied it will be into the nesting season and not even Wicklow County Council could move in during the nesting season.

"Because of that we don't really expect anything to happen here until the winter, maybe even the start of the following year."

Camp members recently expressed concern at the numbers of animals - especially deer - killed regularly in accidents on the N11, the main road through the glen. "The decaying corpse of a stag is lying at the side of the road now for three weeks," said Mr Hammond.

This was "just another aspect" of the impact of a dual-carriageway in the glen which had been ignored by the road planners, he added.