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An Historic battle plaque is unveiled on possible site
for the new dump!
Residents of a rural area of East Galway have stepped-up
their campaign against a proposed local ‘superdump’…by
erecting a plaque to commemorate a 350 year old battle in
the middle of the proposed landfill site.
The plaque at Ballydoogan Bog, Kilrickle, marks the spot
where Irish rebels, led by Richard Grace, fought their last
battle against British Cromwellian forces in June 1652.
A host of dignitaries attended the unveiling of the plaque
by the outgoing Mayor of Galway, Cllr. Michael Regan, in one
of his last official engagements before handing over the chain
of office this week.
The ceremony took place on the protected bog, which is one
of three sites in East Galway which have been earmarked as
the possible site for ‘superdump’ which would take
waste from throughout the county.
Cllr. Regan said he agreed to perform the unveiling as soon
as he was asked to do so by members of the Ballydoogan, Kilrickle,
and district Heritage Group, without first being aware that
it was on the proposed landfill site.
“In the ever increasing pace and pressure of modern
life it is wonderful to see local communities such as this
Heritage Group coming together and taking this time to research,
protect, and promote our heritage,” he said.
After unearthing the history of the site, the locals said
they were now hopeful that Galway County Council would not
go ahead with plans to locate a landfil there and they believed
the bog and its natural environment should be protected.
“After conducting environmental surveys of the area,
we have found that the bog contains a species of butterfly
which is protected and we believe they are trying to put in
a ‘superdump’ where they shouldn’t,” said
one local, who did not wish to be named.
During the ceremony, an historian, Dr Padraic Lenihan of
the University of Limerick, gave a short account of the circumstances
surrounding the battle which took place on June 20, 1652.
“Its real significance and importance lies in the fact
that it was the last battle not just in Ireland but in the
three kingdoms – Ireland, England and Scotland –
against the Cromwellian parliamentary forces,” he said.
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