Why is RTE Obsessed with Quarries?

Rezident

Friends are home from the states and every time a TV is on RTE seem to be banging on about the earth-shattering shock of Quarries operating without licences or something.


While it is becoming a good running joke (the Americans are worried about Trump and climate change (just kidding!) and China etc.) but RTE is focusing on the real issues here: people digging holes in quarries in the middle of nowhere without a licence!


It was just on the RTE news - twice! They're headlining with this craic. Are the quarries full or cocaine or something?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Newspapers full of it too. But, it is a real issue for rural areas.

SEPT 23 1989

They could chisel out caves in the quarries to make houses for the homeless

Cool in summer warm in winter

Anesthetize

Thank God I'm not paying my tv licence for this.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Why would you impose RTE on visiting Americans anyway?

IAMAMORON

Phoebe Thundering Fishnet wrote: »

Newspapers full of it too. But, it is a real issue for rural areas.

What is the issue?

cajonlardo

I would be seriously concerned that an illegal business is allowed to purchase, store and use explosives.

EmmetSpiceland

IAMAMORON wrote: »

What is the issue?

They’re literally digging up rural Ireland and moving it to Dublin.

It’s, yet another, “attack” on rural Ireland.

Montage of Feck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mux1vdwgdJg

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

IAMAMORON wrote: »

What is the issue?

Special conservation areas being ripped up, environmental damage to water courses and sources, large quarry trucks on inadequate rural roads....

IAMAMORON

Phoebe Thundering Fishnet wrote: »

Special conservation areas being ripped up, environmental damage to water courses and sources, large quarry trucks on inadequate rural roads....

Where?

Dr. Colossus

They tuk ur gravel!

freshpopcorn

There's probably a quarry near David McCullagh house and he feels it lowers the tone of the area. So, they want them banned.

IAMAMORON

Phoebe Thundering Fishnet wrote: »

Special conservation areas being ripped up, environmental damage to water courses and sources, large quarry trucks on inadequate rural roads....

I am not trying to be smart. I just think that sometimes you can find an issue when you go looking for one. I saw the advertisement for tonight's RTE doc, my jaw did drop a little. I can't help thinking it looks slightly contrived. I will watch it to see.

But if they start with the drone tone accent and the sad music in the background I will not be impressed one bit. I am not enlightened by generalised issues with rural water courses and trucks "feckin up" the roads either.

In fairness we can only improve our roads by sourcing better rock to lay. Where can we find that?

It looks like a load of fairy trees to me.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

IAMAMORON wrote: »

Where?

Donegal Foyle estuary for one.

IAMAMORON

Phoebe Thundering Fishnet wrote: »

Donegal Foyle estuary for one.

I appreciate your answer. I would say there is an issue there. In fact there will always be an issue where the environment meets industry head on. It becomes a PR exercise from the get go.

Is the issue on the Derry or Donegal side? What type of rock are they quarrying?

Guy:Incognito

Surely the answer to the quarry issue is to dig quarries at the bottom of the ocean. That way it combats the affects of climate change by lowering the sea levels?

Harry Palmr

Someone is well named.

Del2005

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

They’re literally digging up rural Ireland and moving it to Dublin.

It’s, yet another, “attack” on rural Ireland.

Rural Ireland is happy to keep taking money from Dublin, but if Dublin wants a drop of water or a few stones then they won't return the favour. See how long rural Ireland would last if Dublin got as greedy with its money as rural Ireland is with anything Dublin needs.

alias no.9

It's an origins story about an evil criminal mastermind known as the paymaster

Galwayguy35

Must watch it to see if the one a few miles down the road from me is one of them.

STB.

A good few have no permissions whatsoever and when subsequently applied for permission were refused. Didn't stop them from "business as usual"

Take this one... its not on the moon. Its in Donegal.





Simply don't give two fúcks. Some have been closed down due to the environmental damage they have done.

Badly Drunk Boy

Roadstone have taken an almighty chunk out of the Hill Of Allen, supposedly the seat of Fionn MacCumhaill (although he hasn't been spotted there recently). I used to go up there when I was younger, and to the top of the tower which was built in the 19th century. Now there's a steep cliff just on the far side of the tower, although it's been like that for years at this stage.

Here's the view from Google Maps:

FixdePitchmark

jaysus ,

they literally don't give a ****.

just a bit of prison needed , and of.

Bobblehats

Wow look at that. And a bit of deforestation to boot

A Dub in Glasgo

I am shocked how ineffectual the planning process is. The quarry operators are giving a massive F U to the councils and the planning system

Del.Monte

Haven't watched it yet but will tomorrow. It won't lead to anything anyway and RTE will not follow it up - remember the programme on tyre dumps? Next week the latest scandal and quarries will be forgotten along with climate change, e-voting, Thornton Hall Prison, National Chlldren's Hospital......................................................................................................................

Badly Drunk Boy

I found this drone foootage of the Hill of Allen. You can see it properly from about 40 seconds.

https://vimeo.com/143605383

FixdePitchmark

the mad man from Donegal,

at least he talked to them.

c.p.w.g.w

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

jaysus ,

they literally don't give a ****.

just a bit of prison needed , and of.

Take 5 illegal operators, bullet between the eyes and that will sort it out pronto

listermint

Roadstone practically removed arklow rock. It's nearly gone.. and entire seafront hill taken. And the stretch of coast in front I'd decimated like something from a end of world movie.

FixdePitchmark

listermint wrote: »

Roadstone practically removed arklow rock. It's nearly gone.. and entire seafront hill taken. And the stretch of coast in front I'd decimated like something from a end of world movie.

walked the quarry one day , incredible place.

how on earth can a private company own part of our coast, it is also way to close to the actual town.

STB.

Some idiot who thinks he own the River and SAC in Donegal.

Water table breached in Meath.

Galway- simply ignore Supreme Court rulings and continue on regardless.

Councils do nothing. When they do the Courts do nothing.

Nobody goes to jail, nobody gets fined. EU hands Ireland massive fines for breaching all kinds of Habitats and Environmental Directives.

Taxpayer pays instead of greedy "businessmen" who give no fúcks and leave the place in shít.

Its not just the ineffective planning laws or the ability for councils to investigate them. Its the bloody court system. Not worth a curse.

IAMAMORON

I watched it and to be honest I am just shrugging my shoulders really, much like the Irish Judicial System is.

It almost depends on what side of the River Foyle you are on. In fairness to Ernie Lusby he sat in front of the camera and gave his opinion, he didn't run away. Yes he is completely speaking out of his wallet, it looks like he is making millions from his land.

I can't help but think that whilst the documentary was informative, it did have a heavy trickle of environmental bias. The usual stark moody sinister back ground music intertwined with red lettered screen grabs with cap letters saying words like " ILLEGAL" and "UNAUTHORISED". Bubble gum stuff if I am honest.

The section where they took water samples was very contrived. Not all water which exists in this country is suitable for consumption, but I don't need a tut tutting ecologist to tell me that either. This argument was very one sided and if I am honest I found it patronising.

I do feel sorry for residents who live near a dusty quarry, what can they do? I think that is a genuine issue and I truly would not like to live under those conditions. I thought that they could have spent more time on this genuine issue. For me this is a problem.

I am not sold yet on how much of a negative environmental impact the Foyle dredging is. I mean that. There in itself lies half the problem as far as I can see. It is a standard environmental argument which is difficult to define and thus lacks credence. People simply do not care unless it is an issue on their door step. I still can't really understand the issue either way. I might need to go to hell for that , but I can't be dictating the PH levels of water flowing through a certain geological landscape. I certainly am not going to use such information to push an agenda either.

One final thing, I lived in Germany before and they have a lot of quarrying and other industry. Once a quarry is completed the quarry is usually filled with water, sourced from a canal or a local river. The quarry is then converted to a beauty spot and used as a leisure facility. Now on an island like Ireland a lot of people might scoff at this idea, but it must be added that Germany is essentially landlocked, so any opportunity to have semi-natural water leisure facility nearby is encouraged. My point is, I would like to see what solutions environmentalists are offering to this " issue ". I did not see any solutions being offered last night, it was just a straightforward scaremongering exercise, posing problems and selling a bit of advertising.