Gold Mining Company's Weasel Words rejected by Cllr Keith Martin

mayo | environment | press release

Monday December 03, 2007 22:50

by Cllr Keith Martin - Labour Party

Councillor objects to Gold Mining near Croagh Patrick

Councillor Keith Martin of the Westport Labour Party has said that the proposed "tourism mine" for Mayo is an effort to establish whole-scale Gold Mining in the Vicinity of Croagh Patrick. The company propose to mine for Gold in the Middle of a Designated SAC.

Cllr Keith Martin

Councillor Keith Martin of Westport Town Council has accused Mayo's Gold Limited, the company behind the proposed Gold Mine at Creggaunbaun, near Louisburgh, of being deliberately misleading as to the size and scale of the proposed mine.

Cllr Martin says that when the mine was first mooted by Mayo’s Gold Limited it was described by the company as ‘seven dwarf type tourist operation’ and as a “tourism product based around a show mine, producing a small amount of gold. The company went on to state categorically that “This is not a commercial venture.”

The company also claimed that they would be seeking ‘international geopark status’ for the region, which would brand it as a geological area of international significance.

According to the Labour Party councillor these are nothing but “weasel words” designed to “soften opposition to the project which is to be used as the thin end of a wedge to establish a full size mining operation close to Croagh Patrick.”

Cllr Martin says “In the local media Mayo’s Gold Limited is talking about the seven dwarfs and a tourism mine while in the national papers they are talking about raising €25 million to set it up. That’s some seven dwarf mine that costs €25 million! When you then hear that they are exploring an area the size of 135 townlands in Louisburgh and expect to find a possible yield of €3.4 billion you know that this is a serious operation designed to bring in whole-scale Gold mining by the back door into a environmentally sensitive, culturally and religiously important area with a massive tourism value as it is.

“This company must think the people of West Mayo don’t read the national newspapers! This isn’t Killinaskully and the people of the area won’t be fooled by weasel words or the promises of the company. The people say no to Gold mining in Mayo and no to Mayo’s Gold Limited. They said it twenty years ago when mining was first proposed and they are saying it again.”

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Comments (2 of 2)

This is bigger than Martin (cllr)

by C Murray

Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:13

Last weekend saw Ryan of the Dail stopping Uranium Mining in Donegal and a statement by Marine and
Natural Resources

'As long as I am in Office-this will not happen': =complete limp-wrist response.

For ten years in eco and for almost two years on this newswire I (amongst others)have asked for:

A coherent approach to protection of Natural and Built heritage which involves the transposition of Aarhus
into Law , the repeal or amendment of the SIB and the creation of a statutory body to implement those
Protections. it suits the clientelists amongst us to not approach the matter of conservation in a coherent
manner but on a vote-grabbing basis.
*****************************************************************************************************************
Keith you are Labour - have you lobbied yer party for advocating a policy of Heritage Protection?
(if not why is there a photo of you beside a bit of stone on the newswire?)

Case by case eco protection cases are a waste of energy and isolating-so lobby Party Central to
use a rational approach to the issue. bTW the mining on the Reek itself was stopped already
by close associates of mine but i think that they want and desire less individual martyrdom and
self-publicity and more coherent approach to eco.

Has Eamon Ryan gone to Gormley and said;- 'We need a coherent approach to Heritage Protection'
Has John Gormley addressed the issue of coherence in eco policy since taking office, I do
not see anything new on http://www.environ.ie

[Political timed press release on emotive issues are not adequate response to these issues
they give the effect of action but the underlying causes of eco-abuse will continue to remain].

Mayo gold company is owned by who?

by Eamonn O'Coilea'in - Mayo Person

Thu Dec 06, 2007 02:50

So Bertie and the boys want more and more, How much is the sacared ground worth that is an International Shrine and the beloved place of the people of the west of Ireland, It seems that this government can just give permission to take your land just because outsiders want to explot for riches that belong to the people of Ireland, It sounds like the people of the WEST have been taken for granted by a few politicians who want to take what ever there is to make a buck at any cost: I can just imagine all the tourist who want to go and look at an out of mayo company making billions from their fields and lands. Mayo Gold say that they only want to dig up only 135 townlands!! Surely, 20 years ago you said no and no means no where I LIVE. EVERYONE DO NOT LET THEM DESTROY YOUR AREA, It seems that the west is to be robed again of it's natural resourses more billions given away
A few photos for you all that have GOLD FEVER

Gold fever