by Alan Jacques
A RARE lime kiln may be lost forever if a planning application is granted to Glin Coursing Club by Limerick City and County Council.
This is the opinion of John Fitzgerald from the Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports (CACS), who is now calling on the local authority to reject an application by Glin Coursing Club for “retention” of the buildings and structures on the venue at Ballynagoul.
Mr Fitzgerald said that residents in Glin contacted him, and were, primarily concerned about the negative impact of the coursing venue on their lives, but also expressed opposition to hare coursing itself. CACS have started an online petition with over 2,000 signatures calling on the council to reject the application by Glin Coursing Club.
A decision is due on October 25.
Separately, CACS say they have discovered that the Department of Arts and Heritage has made known to the council that the coursing venue contains a lime kiln.
“Lime kilns, once very common in Ireland, are now extremely rare, most of them having been demolished. The kiln on Glin coursing field may be lost forever to Ireland’s heritage if Limerick County Council allows the coursing clubs to proceed with its ‘sporting’ activities,” Mr Fitzgerald claimed.
Irish Coursing Club chief executive, DJ Histon, deccribed Mr Fitzgerald’s concerns as a “feeble attempt” to involve himself in local matters which are well governed by planning legislation and have no requirement of his input.
Mr Histon pointed out that the land at Ballynagoul is subject to a planning application, which is available for examination by any member of the public, concerned, resident or otherwise. He also said that the application relates to agricultural matters in the name of a person who is the holder of a herd number.
He described the concerns raised by CACS as a “red herring”.
“The lime kiln which concerns Mr Fitzgerald is intact and is not located on the land which is the subject of the planning application and therefore a moot point,” Mr Histon told the Limerick Post.
“Observations and objections are part of any planning process; therefore, why Mr Fitzgerald deems it necessary to start on ‘online campaign’ when appropriate mechanisms for objections are and always have been available for the people he purports to represent.”
A spokesman for Limerick City and County Council said that the planning authority is unable to comment on an individual planning matter while it is subject to an ongoing planning process.
