Farmers who own sections of the Cliffs of Moher Trail have spoken out for the first time since a leaked copy of the Tobin Report revealed that Clare County Council could use compulsory purchase to secure their land.
The trail, which attracts some 400,000 visitors annually, closed last August when a Sport Ireland audit found significant safety issues on sections of the 19km route. A leaked copy of a report by Tobin Consultants, who were tasked with drawing up a new management plan for the attraction, suggests that some sections of the trail will need significant works that could take up to three years to complete.
The leaked report, which was commissioned by Clare County Council, also says that the local authority “should have full title of the lands by outright purchase” and that “compulsory purchase” should be used if no agreement can be reached. The official Tobin Report, published yesterday by Clare County Council, still contains reference to compulsory purchase, but the language around the process is different from the leaked report.
Former chairperson of Clare IFA, Tom Lane, who is representing many of the local landowners, says no negotiations can take place between farmers and Clare County Council or the Clare Local Development Company, which currently manages the trail, until the threat of compulsory purchase has been taken off the table.
“People are sickened with the idea that there is a possible CPO hanging over them,” he said.
“You can’t get into any real negotiations with anyone, if when you get to the end of those negotiations and the other party isn’t happy, they can take whatever they want anyway. There is a lot of anger there against the CPO process.
“There is a feeling that, because farmers were willing to allow the walk to be made, they are now paying the price for it.
“If they knew then [when the walk was under development], that opening up their land to tourists would lead them to a place where they were facing possible CPOs, they would never have opened their gates in the first place.”
These sentiments were echoed by trail farmer, Pat Sweeney, who originally came up with the idea of the walking attraction more than 20 years ago.
Mr Sweeney says that the relationship between farmers and Clare County Council has “broken down” and the local authority has not made contact with landowners since the Tobin Report was leaked in March.
“Damage has been done. The trust is gone and the relationship has broken down. We are very disappointed that the report was leaked and made major headlines and we have heard nothing about it. We have never been contacted by Clare County Council. We have been left high and dry here with a chance of a CPO coming down on our farms,” he said.
“We never would have signed up for the walkways package if we thought that it would have put us in the position where a few years down the line our land would be CPOed.
“It is a kick, it is. We have given a lot of goodwill to this down the years.”
Local Farmer, Alan Nagle, says that the good will shown by farmers to open their land to the trail is now being used against them.
“You’d like to think that this situation could be redeemable, but that depends on the willingness of both sides. There will be willingness from our side for sure but we will have to see about them,” he said.
“The goodwill that we showed is being turned against us. That what seems to be happening. That is the feeling among the farmers. There is anger and the feeling that the good will is being turned against us.”
The report also suggests that payments to farmers should be based on the National Greenway Scheme, an arrangement which is unlikely to be accepted by local landowners.
The report refers to a “perceived inequity” felt by local landowners who are aware of the large revenues generated by Clare County Council at the Cliffs of Moher Experience, which sits in the centre of the walking trail.
“This is no greenway, this is a long way from being a greenway. A greenway is a local amenity where locals and visitors can park their cars for free, they can cycle or walk, and enjoy the land for free. This is a commercial enterprise where people have to pay to go to the Cliffs of Moher Experience, and that Cliffs of Moher Experience overlaps on to this walking trail,” said Tom Lane of Clare IFA.
“It [the greenway scheme] is not even a basis to begin negotiations. This is an opportunity to create a bespoke agreement, where you can have unhindered access for 10 years or more, with the buy-in of local landowners. Talking about this as a greenway is only undermining the goodwill and the confidence that the landowners have.”
Andrew Hamilton is a journalist, investigative reporter and podcaster who has been working in the media in Ireland for the past 20 years. His areas of special interest include the environment, mental health and politics.