Leitrim activists picket Gold mining dinner dance in Cavan

Treasure Leitrim members joined activists from dozens of other counties in holding a protest at the entrance of Cavan's Farnham Estate on Saturday where members of the Irish Mining and Quarrying Society were hosting its annual golf tournament and black tie dinner dance.

The gathering was organised by members of Treasure Leitrim, who are in the process of lobbying General Election candidates to seek a national ban on gold mining across the island of Ireland.

In 2022, two prospecting licences were granted to Flintridge resources LTD for the mining of base metals, gold and silver, in designated areas in North Leitrim, which means the company may search for minerals in the 47 town lands that are covered under the licence.

This caused concern amongst locals who worry about the negative effects it could cause to the water purity, bio diversity, and damage to the land.

“We are meant to work with the earth, there is meant to be a give and take, these massive abstraction industries they just come in and pillage the place and leave it in an awful mess,“ according to Cllr James Gilmartin, chairperson of Treasure Leitrim. 

“Flintridge’s and Galantas, they were promoting the event as a black tie event as in ‘come on in, the country is open,’ and it most certainly is not,” he adds.

Cllr Gilmartin has also called on landowners in the area to deny mining companies who seek access to their land for prospecting, “We want to let their investors know that they do not have community support here in Ireland for gold mining.”

Members of the groups are involved in various mining, prospecting and quarrying opposition movements, from Cavan to Leitrim, Meath, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and further afield.

Flintridge resources LTD, which is a subsidiary of a Canadian mining company Galantas, was found to have not followed safety standards in their mine in Omagh where in 2018 large amounts of rock fell and nearly hit workers and a roadway in the area collapsed due to the mining activities.

They were subsequently fined £120,000 over serious failings by Dungannon Crown Court following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive NI.

The Irish Mining and Quarrying Society, as founded in 1958, provides a focal point for all those working in the extractive industry in Ireland.

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