Should the Irish government buy Lough Neagh?

dublincc2 · 06-10-2023 9:05pm #1

Lough Neagh, Ireland’s largest lake, is dying. Algae is slowly destroying the ecosystem there. Perhaps the most surprising thing to come out of this is the fact that the lake is actually owned by a British Earl, who is putting it up for sale.

As it is private land being sold and nobody lives on the lake, it wouldn’t be a violation of the Good Friday Agreement for the state to purchase the Lough as a national asset. It wouldn’t change the constitutional situation as the lake would still be in NI and thus the UK, but it would be owned by the sovereign Irish government, kind of like how an embassy is technically sovereign territory but at the same time not.

If the government is serious about the prospect of a united Ireland (which I believe is inevitable by 2050 although probably won’t happen this decade being realistic) and also about the environment as they claim to be, we should put our money where our mouth is and take back Lough Neagh for the Irish people and ensure it is restored and cleaned up.

Seamus4life · 06-10-2023 9:13pm

I'd do it just for the devilment.

elperello · 06-10-2023 9:26pm

Reminds me of the Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time".

InAtFullBack · 06-10-2023 9:27pm

No, why would you 'buy' something that would be left to you in a will anyways?

igCorcaigh · 06-10-2023 9:53pm

Expropriate.

whisky_galore · 06-10-2023 9:54pm

Lol the irish government doesn't make much progress cleaning up the watercourses already under its jurisdiction, let alone running off to buy another.

blanch152 · 06-10-2023 9:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058317112/should-the-irish-government-buy-lough-neagh

Interesting idea but unworkable.

The lake isn't polluting itself, it is the activity on the land around it that is polluting it. Buying the lake won't solve the problems, may even make it worse, as angry unionist farmers increase the pollution and Ireland can do nothing about that.