The plan for gold mining in The Sperrins has ‘resurfaced’ with an Australian company mooting project to establish the mine near Magherafelt in Co Tyrone. A TV personality is lending his support to opponents of the plan (link):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-45730901
The Celtic League opposed a similar plan by a Canadian mining company to exploit resources in the same area two years ago. Last year the Leagues AGM held on the Isle of Man also expressed support for communities in Brittany opposed to mining of precious metals there. The plan was subsequently put on hold by the French government (links):
https://www.celticleague.net/news/breizh-agm-welcomes-mining-pause-but-r…
https://www.celticleague.net/news/sperrin-mountains-gold-mining-threat-t…
Mining operations have always attracted concerns on environmental grounds but in 2011 the acquisition of Lisheen mine in Co Tipperary, Ireland was also controversial because the Company which purchased the mine (Indian conglomerate Vedanta) from Anglo American Mining also had been criticised in its home country on human rights grounds (link):
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/feb/09/amnesty-report-alumina-…
Image: The Sperrins
Bernard Moffatt
Celtic League Military Monitoring
