The Sperrins: Mining, Power & Community in Northern Ireland

This week's proceedings ranged from blasting and explosives to radon, arsenic, lead, public health and childhood development. But beneath the technical evidence, a much bigger question continued to emerge: who carries the risk, and who is ultimately accountable?
In this episode we cover:
💥 New evidence on blasting and explosives
🏠 The experiences of residents living through previous blasting
⚠️ Concerns over conditions, enforcement and long-term accountability
☢️ Evidence on radon, arsenic, lead and naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM)
🧒 Medical evidence on air pollution, child development and public health
🌿 The debate over tellurium and critical minerals
🎙️ Reflections on transparency, public participation and the Inquiry process
As always, this podcast is intended to help people understand what happened at the Inquiry by bringing together the week's evidence in plain English.
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In Part 2 of Wednesday's Public Inquiry, the focus shifts from planning policy to public health.
Retired GP Dr Alan Evans and consultant surgeon Dr Michael Mullan gave evidence on radon, arsenic, lead and tellurium, raising questions about the potential health implications of mining and why these issues matter to communities living in the Sperrins.
This episode also explores why local concerns should not be dismissed as fear, but understood in the wider context of mining communities across the world.
In this episode:
The evidence on radon and why it matters.
Concerns surrounding arsenic, lead and tellurium.
Why tellurium became a point of debate at the Inquiry.
The difference between geological timescales and human timescales.
Why the experiences of mining communities worldwide deserve to be heard.
🎧 If you value independent reporting from inside the Public Inquiry, please subscribe, share this episode and help others stay informed. Every share makes a difference.

Public Inquiry – Final Day Before Summer Recess
Today's hearing focused on some of the most important public health issues considered at the Inquiry so far.
In this episode I look at the evidence presented on air pollution, radiation, electromagnetic fields and the potential health implications of the proposed mine. I also explain some of the technical terms that seem to have become part of the Inquiry's own language.
In this episode:
Blasting, Radon, NORM and what they actually mean.
 ICNIRP  today's acronym of the day.
Expert medical evidence on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and environmental exposures.
Public health concerns raised during the hearing.
The summer recess.
If you're following the Dalradian Public Inquiry, this episode provides a clear, accessible summary of the day's proceedings.
🎧 Listen, subscribe and share to help more people understand what's happening at the Public Inquiry.
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Join our newsletter
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When the public inquiry  starts to obscure the bigger picture, sometimes it's worth stopping to remember what we're actually trying to protect.
This week's podcast steps back from the technical evidence of the Public Inquiry to reflect on why so many people have devoted years of their lives to this process. Alongside that, I examine another week inside the Inquiry, where procedural decisions, witness management and an increasingly tense atmosphere continue to raise difficult questions.
In this episode:
Why I decided to read excerpts from The Sperrins Declaration
The importance of remembering what this Inquiry is really about
The latest developments inside the Public Inquiry
Questions surrounding witness examination and procedural fairness
Growing frustrations among community participants
Why many believe the process is becoming increasingly tightly controlled
🎧 Listen now and, if you enjoy the podcast, please follow, subscribe and share it. Every share helps more people understand what's happening inside the Public Inquiry.

Today's Public Inquiry was about blasting, but it began with something entirely different. Warnings about the podcast itself, questions about freedom of expression, and another confirmation that Cormac remains excluded from the Inquiry.
As the evidence unfolded, new information continued to emerge orally rather than through the Environmental Statement, raising further concerns for Third Parties trying to scrutinise the application.
In this episode I discuss:
The warning issued about the podcast and why I refuse to be silenced.
Cormac's continued exclusion from the Public Inquiry.
Dalradian's revised blasting proposals – now 16 blasts every day.
Concerns that crucial technical information is still being presented orally rather than in the application documents.
Questions over vibration modelling, trial blasting and missing environmental information.
Powerful evidence from local residents describing their previous experience of blasting.
The revelation that approximately 42,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate could be used over the life of the mine.
Why today's evidence leaves more questions than answers.
🎙️ If this episode gives you something to think about, I'd love to hear your views. Please leave a comment, share the episode, and help others follow what is happening at the Public Inquiry.

This episode takes a step away from the Public Inquiry and into the heart of the Sperrins for the 21st annual Gathering at Silverbrook Mill, Donemana.
Set in one of Ireland's most unique historic mill complexes, The Gathering brings together people, communities and campaigns from across Northern Ireland and beyond. It is a day of conversation, learning, music, connection and shared experience.
In this episode:
• The story of Silverbrook Mill and its remarkable heritage• What The Gathering is and why it has endured • The importance of connection in  community and environmental campaigns• The challenges of isolation faced by  campaign groups• Reflections on community, resilience and shared values• A conversation with fellow co-organisers Mary McGuiggan and Anna Louise Bresnahan  about this year's Gathering
If you enjoy these conversations exploring community, heritage and the future of the Sperrins, please subscribe, share the podcast and help others discover the stories that often go unheard.

This week at the Public Inquiry, noise may have been the official topic, but questions of fairness, participation and whose voices are heard often dominated proceedings.
In this episode I discuss:
• A further 33 days being added to the Inquiry timetable.• The internet outage that left third parties unable to access key documents while others remained connected.• Whether a process can be fair when participants are operating on unequal terms.• The continuing debate around noise impacts and mining assessments.• The value of lived experience versus so-called professional expertise.• How ordinary members of the public continue to identify weaknesses in complex technical evidence.• Mary Brolly's application seeking the readmission of campaigner Cormac McAleer.• The Commissioners' decision to reserve their ruling until the Inquiry resumes.
If you have found value in this podcast,  please subscribe, share , write a review  and help others stay informed about what is happening inside the Public Inquiry room.
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins
https://dontmineus.com/newslatter/
 

Today the Public Inquiry returned to noise, rebuttals, conditions, and a guest  appearance from  a member of the  "Silent Majority."
In this episode:
Third parties challenge inaccuracies in the applicant's evidence
Noise evidence and rebuttals continue
A masterclass in staying on message regardless of the question
Why every impact seems to be described as "negligible"
The case for the readmission of long-time campaigner Cormac McAleer
The Commissioners' decision 
If the evidence is to be believed, this may be the first mine in history that generates traffic, blasting, waste rock, industrial processing and power infrastructure while affecting virtually nothing at all.
🎙️ If you're finding these daily updates useful, please follow the podcast on Spotify and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Every share helps more people follow what is happening at the Public Inquiry. Thank you . 
Link to podcast 71 - https://buttonsoptions4u.podbean.com/e/71%f0%9f%8e%99%ef%b8%8f-public-inquiry-week-beginning-2nd-june-2026-day-1/
 
SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 
https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins
https://dontmineus.com/newslatter/
 

This week at the Public Inquiry, the discussion appeared to be about roads, heritage and planning policy.
But beneath the technical evidence, a much bigger question emerged.
What happens when a system designed to assess categories is asked to understand memory, faith, community and belonging?
In this episode, I reflect on why many people feel the outcome is already predetermined, why communities often prevail not by convincing those in power but by convincing each other, and why the real legacy of the Inquiry may be the strengthening of the community itself.
Key topics:
• The growing perception that the outcome has already been decided• The evidence presented on the importance of the Mass Rock and cultural heritage• Why community, memory and belonging cannot easily be reduced to planning categories• The difference between authority and legitimacy• How communities can respond to hopelessness and negativity• Why staying connected may be the most powerful act of all
Call to Action:
If you find value in these conversations, please follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, leave a review and share this episode with others. Every follow, review and share helps ensure that these stories, and the voices behind them, reach a wider audience.

Day 29 of the Dalradian Public Inquiry brought archaeology, peatlands and heritage into sharp focus, along with some uncomfortable questions about conditions, timetables and public participation. We hear contrasting evidence from Dr Jill Plunkett and HED, discuss the implications of archaeological mitigation, and reflect on the growing frustration among third parties as key topics are quietly set aside and timetable pressures continue to mount. Plus, a heartfelt thank you to the Earth Mamas, whose songs reminded us all why this fight matters.