The Sperrins: Mining, Power & Community in Northern Ireland

#No.46🎙️ Public Inquiry - Week 1 in Review Fri 17th April 2026

End of Week 1 at the not-so-public Public Inquiry
Key issues emerging:
Cyanide  not gone, just repositioned?
Missing environmental assessments
Late submissions & document overload
Ongoing concerns around fairness and access
A process that feels complex, contested… and far from clear
Community voice strong but under pressure
Big questions still unanswered
👉 Follow the podcast for daily/weekly updates as the inquiry unfolds👉 Share to keep others informed

#No.45🎙️ Public Inquiry -Day 3

Day 3 of the Public Inquiry — and the process is starting to reveal itself
Questions drip-fed throughout the day, with departments (DFI / DOE) under scrutiny
Ongoing issue: unauthorised infill and potential failure to comply with planning conditions
Key concern: development may have bypassed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Cyanide resurfaces — despite assumptions it was gone
Proposed condition: no cyanide permitted on site at any stage
Debate deferred to mine waste session
Major gap exposed: no independent Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA)
Why it matters: without an HRA, a project cannot legally proceed if habitats are at risk
Wide-ranging discussions from precautionary principle to turbary rights & Crown Estate
Conflict of interest concerns raised  including oversight of work by original project designers
A process that raises more questions the deeper you go
👉 Follow the podcast for daily updates from inside the inquiry

#No.44🎙️ Public Inquiry -Day 2

 
🎙️ Public Inquiry Podcast – Day 2
⚖️ NIEA late evidence accepted by the PAC
🗂️ Decision based on SOC + rebuttals, not new material
⏱️ Ongoing concerns around time + fairness
📊 Key details still unclear across the project
☣️ Cyanide question not going away
👉 Daily updates from inside the inquiry📢 Follow & share to stay informed

#No.43 🎙️ Public Inquiry – Day 1

In this episode:
⚖️ Legal challenges over fairness + admissibility of new evidence
📂 95 new documents dropped late – not enough time to respond?
🌍 Questions over cross-border consultation failures
🌱 Environmental assessment delays – could be “bolted on” later
⛏️ Confusion over what’s actually being mined
📉 Gaps in the economic case + project clarity
🏠 Concerns mining could extend under homes without consent
💷 Who monitors the mine? No clear accountability
From yellow umbrellas outside to serious questions inside 
👉 Follow the Save Our Sperrins Podcast for daily, on-the-ground updates📢 Share to keep others informed

#No.42 Dalradian’s New Marketing Campaign: A Reality Check

In this solo episode of the Save Our Sperrins Podcast, Save Our Sperrins responds to the latest marketing campaign released by Dalradian Gold, offering a calm and forensic examination of the claims being made about jobs, prosperity, and regional regeneration.
Set against rising living costs, pressure on public services, and growing climate instability, this episode explores how extractive industries use narrative, timing, and emotion to position private mining projects as solutions to public crises. The episode contrasts promotional messaging with documented evidence from Ireland, highlighting what is often omitted from corporate storytelling: environmental risk, public cost, long-term liability, and community impact.
Sos is calling for  honesty, evidence, and long-term thinking in decisions that will shape landscapes, water systems, and communities for generations.It is if you like, a  clear-eyed reality check  and a reminder that some lines are worth holding.
#dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining 
#EnvironmentPodcast #JusticePodcast
#ActivismPodcast
#IrishPodcast
#HumanRights
 
📣 Share, review, and help amplify our story -Have a listen, and if you have time  hit the  follow button  5 stars and a review on the podcast app , and please share if you can. it really makes a difference to the algorithm 
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins
 
https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins
 
LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES 
http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/
Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction.
https://yestolifenotomining.org/
The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169
Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block.
This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this
 
LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine ) 
 
 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about
 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc
 
 

#No.41 Public Inquiry Begins: What Happens Next

The public inquiry into gold mining in the Sperrins is about to begin  and this podcast is entering a new phase.
After 40 episodes building the story, trust, and understanding behind the campaign, we’re now moving into real-time coverage of what happens next.
From here on, expect short, regular updates from the inquiry:
What happened
What it means
What to watch next
Follow the podcast to stay informed throughout the inquiry  and share it with anyone trying to make sense of what’s happening.
This podcast follows the campaign to protect the Sperrin Mountains from proposed gold mining.
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins
 
 

#No.40 Voice, Value and Who Gets Heard: A Conversation with Dermot Devlin

In this episode, I sit down with disability rights advocate, TEDx speaker, and campaigner Dermot Devlin to explore what it means to be heard in systems that aren’t always designed to listen.
Originally from Greencastle, Dermot brings a powerful mix of lived experience, sharp insight, and every day honesty  working across grassroots activism, practical change, and policy influence.
This conversation  opens up bigger questions about voice, power, and participation in society.
🔍 In the  episode, we explore:
What “access”  means beyond the obvious
Who gets included in decisions  and who gets left out
The reality of consultation vs genuine participation
Parallels between disability advocacy and community struggles
Why economic arguments so often override everything else
What a truly inclusive, healthy community might look like
🎧 Listen now and share this episode with anyone interested in environmental justice, public participation and the future of the Sperrins.
💬 Share your thoughts on the public inquiry process 
➕  Follow the podcast by hitting the follow button
🔁 Repost to raise awareness
#dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining 
#EnvironmentPodcast #JusticePodcast
 
LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW 
https://youtube.com/@mywayaccess?si=St0MI6ygdj5iN9qN
 
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins
 
Save Our Sperrins YouTube Channel 
 
https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins
 
LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES 
http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/
Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction.
https://yestolifenotomining.org/
The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169
Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block.
This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this
 
LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine ) 
 
 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about
 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc
 

#No.39 Public Inquiry, Private Barriers

What does public participation actually mean when major environmental decisions are being made?
In this episode I’m joined by Laura Neale,  a senior  lawyer with Friends of the Earth . She is based in the organisation’s Belfast office and works on strategic litigation relevant to the issues that affect Northern Ireland. She is passionate about working alongside communities in the region to protect people, planet and place.
Today Laura  unpacks two international agreements that are designed  to protect the public’s role in environmental decision-making: the Aarhus Convention and the Espoo Convention.
In this conversation we explore:
What the Aarhus Convention actually guarantees ordinary people
What meaningful public participation should look like in practice
How the Espoo Convention applies when environmental impacts cross borders
The difference between participation in theory and participation in reality
What happens when practical barriers no online access, no recordings, restrictions on attendance  limit who can take part
Whether international environmental rights are being fully realised on the ground
At its heart, this episode asks a simple question:
When decisions affect the air people breathe, the water they drink and the land they live on  who gets to be in the room?
🎧 Listen now and share this episode with anyone interested in environmental justice, public participation and the future of the Sperrins.
💬 Share your thoughts on the public inquiry process 
➕  Follow the podcast by hitting the follow button
🔁 Repost to raise awareness
#dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining 
#EnvironmentPodcast #JusticePodcast
 
LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW 
links to the Aarhus Convention and the Espoo Convention
Here’s a briefing on FoE’s recent complaint to the Aarhus Compliance Committee. Although it relates to the specifics of that complaint, there’s some interesting overview points that might be of use. You can find it here. Also, here is a recent response from the NI Department of Justice on the issue of Aarhus Compliance in Northern Ireland.
 
If this topic interests you, you might also want to check out:
Episode #7 – Human Rights in the Hills: Defending the Defenders https://buttonsoptions4u.podbean.com/e/human-rights-in-the-hills-mary-lawlor-on-defending-the-defenders/
Episode #35 – When Public Isn’t Public https://buttonsoptions4u.podbean.com/e/no35-when-public-isn-t-public-a-conversation-with-gerard-moyne-and-sean-harkin/
 
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins
 
Save Our Sperrins YouTube Channel 
https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins
 
LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES 
http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/
Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction.
https://yestolifenotomining.org/
The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169
Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block.
This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this
 
LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine ) 
 
 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about
 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc
 

#No.38 The Bog Is Not Empty A Conversation with Artist Emily McFarland

What if the land we call empty is anything but?
In this episode, artist Emily McFarland brings the bog into focus, as a living archive of memory, water and deep time.
Why peatlands are far more than “marginal land”
The bog as witness  holding carbon, history and story
How art can challenge the language of progress and development
What gets lost when landscapes are reduced to resource
A different way of seeing  and listening  to the land beneath our feet
👉 If this episode resonates, follow the podcast and share it with others  it’s how these conversations travel.
LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW 
Links to the  exhibition at the Void and a reading list that might be interesting for listeners too. 
www.derryvoid.com/exhibitions/pollanroeburn-emilymcfarland/
www.derryvoid.com/reading-list-pollanroe-burn-emily-mcfarland/
Contact: emilymcfarland.studio@gmail.com
 
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins
 
Save Our Sperrins YouTube Channel 
 
https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins
 
LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES 
http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/
Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction.
https://yestolifenotomining.org/
The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169
Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block.
This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this
 
LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine ) 
 
 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about
 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc
 
 

#No. 37 The Sperrins at a Crossroads: Wind Power , Extraction and the Green Transition

Ann-Louise Bresnahan of Save The Moat – Save The Sperrins joins me to talk about the proposed industrial-scale wind development on the Moat, part of the Mullaghs in the central Sperrins ,  an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty now facing major upland industrialisation.
What begins as a conversation about turbines opens out into something much wider. We discuss peatlands and carbon capture, water, grid infrastructure, data centres and the rising energy demands of Big Tech. We look at extractivism in its modern form,  how rural landscapes are being redesignated as energy zones and what that means for biodiversity, cultural heritage, community health and democratic process.
This episode asks difficult but necessary questions about the so-called green transition: who benefits, who carries the burden, and what kind of future is being shaped for the Sperrins.
#dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining 
#EnvironmentPodcast #JusticePodcast
#ActivismPodcast
#IrishPodcast
#HumanRights
📣 Share, review, and help amplify our story -Have a listen, and if you have time  hit the  follow button  5 stars and a review on the podcast app , and please share if you can. it really makes a difference to the algorithm 
 
LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW 
1. Mullaghclogher/ Save The Moat objection link
Mullaghclogher Wind Factory – Save The Moat campaign. Background on the proposed Mullaghclogher wind factory in the central Sperrins, why local people are opposing it, and how to submit an objection or get involved.
www.savethemoat.com
2. Petition – No New Data Centres in NI
No New Data Centres in NI – petition
I’ve signed this petition calling on the NI Executive to stop power-hungry data centres in Northern Ireland and put communities, climate and energy security first.
https://my.actnowni.org/petitions/no-power-hungry-data-centres-in-northern-ireland?source=web_share_api&utm_source=web_share_api&share=e0c049e5-5164-467a-9cee-34755f58def9
 
3. Save The Moat – Facebook and Instagram pages
Updates, events and resources from our community-led campaign to protect The Moat and the wider Sperrins from industrialisation.
https://www.facebook.com/share/18Hw3CMqhb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram - 
https://www.instagram.com/save_the_moat?igsh=MWY5bjVyaWcxbm10cA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
 
 
A podcast to link to; is my conversation with Gerry McGovern where he talks about the myth of the green transition in more detail . Episode No. 31 
 
The Cost of the Green Transition
 
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins    
Save Our Sperrins YouTube Channel 
https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins
 
LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES 
http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/
Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction.
https://yestolifenotomining.org/
The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169
Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block.
This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this
LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine ) 
 
 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about
 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc