Farmers tell G8 leaders: We support Farming not Fracking

national | environment | press release Thursday June 13, 2013 21:47 by Love Leitrim

Press release Love leitrim

Irish Farmers are taking to the road in advance of the G8 summit. They will stage a tractor run Sunday June 16th from Manorhamilton to the iconic Ballroom of Romance Glenfarne in Leitrim to shine a light on their opposition to fracking on the national and world stage.

Organisers from Love Leitrim are estimating that at least 80 tractors will turn out many from across the border in what is expected to be a colourful yet poignant show of North /South solidarity. There is a temporary suspension of licensing while research is conducted on the controversial gas mining technique in the Republic of Ireland. However, there is no such suspension in Fermanagh where world leaders meet. Tamboran the drilling company involved in the area have stated that they plan to drill this year within Fermanagh only a few miles away from the South.

Michael Gallagher is one of the organisers who is a pensioner and sheep farmer speaks of the rationale behind the tractorcade and the importance that farmers take this opportunity to raise the pollution risk of gas drilling on the agricultural and food industry on an all Ireland basis. He states that Farmers in the rest of the country might think it’s only to do with the west, but he is concerned that the farming reputation of the whole of Ireland is at stake should it be introduced in either Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Michael comes from generations of farmers and is leaving the farm in turn to his son.

He says

“These leaders like the companies are here for a short time, and will be gone, We aren’t going anywhere” We are tied to this place and the land we survive off. Its not just our livelihood, its our life, and its the lives of the next generation too’

The Tractor run leaves at 1pm from the Mart in manorhamilton and arrives at the ballroom of Romance in Glenfarne at 2pm.

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