Damien Dempsey to perform at awareness day to highlight concerns over mining in County Clare

THE Keep Tulla Untouched campaign has announced details of a mining awareness day which will feature a number of live music performances and speakers.   

Singer Damien Dempsey and musician Eamonn DeBarra will close the day which takes place in Tulla parish on Saturday, September 23.

Other acts include the Bog Bodies, Seán Mulrooney (TAU), Su Hammond and Tulla man Mairtin Torpey.

Speakers during the day will highlight mining objection campaigns across the country and the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), a new policy soon to come in through the EU parliament, to allow strategic projects to be fast-tracked, overriding public interests and environmental considerations. 

Phoenix O'Reilly, a member of Keep Tulla Untouched says: "I think it's very sad that the government isn't protecting Ireland from all of this, or talking to people about the negative impacts of mining on the environment and the livelihoods of rural communities."

Jacintha van Roij, a spokesperson for the campaign, added: "It's hard to get your head around it, we're going to transition for climate change by means of extractivism. Whenever we talk to people about it, most of them have never heard of REEs or how critical they are to the EU. And now EU policies are coming into place and are being welcomed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to create a vast mining sector in Ireland." 

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Thomas Ligtvoet, a founder member of the campaign added: "Recycling existing mine waste means going into tailings ponds with sulphuric acid to process some more from the sludge. Since when does recycling leave a bigger toxic mess? There is no communication with anyone living within affected communities. Reports mention sustainable, green energy but keep quiet about mining waste, which is permanently toxic and is left behind after the profits are removed as happened at the Tynagh mines for instance. We visited residents there, a worthwhile trip if you want to learn about how mining companies treat the environment or the people who live within it."

Last February, a prospecting licence was granted for gold, silver, barytes and base metals to a mining company for 52 townlands around Tulla. A separate company holds six prospecting licences for zinc and lead for a vast area in the south of County Clare. Exploratory drilling has commenced in Kilmurry and Clooney. 

The awareness day, which takes place from 12pm to 7pm on September 23 is completely sold out.