The Sperrins: Mining, Power & Community in Northern Ireland

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.

Today the Public Inquiry heard evidence on historic roads, religious heritage, intangible cultural heritage and the deep connections between people, language and landscape.
What emerged was a profound question: can everything that matters be measured?
In a day that featured testimony from Father Joe McVeigh , Sinéad Ní Mhearnóg, Dr. Peadar Mac Gabhann, Liam Monaghan, Dr. Vicenza Cirifice and others, the discussion moved into the realms of memory, belonging, identity and community.
In this episode:
Historic roads and access in the Sperrins
The cultural and spiritual significance of mass rocks
Father Pat McVey on community cohesion and division
Irish language, landscape and identity
The last Irish-speaking district in Northern Ireland
Intangible cultural heritage and what may be lost
Community consultation versus desktop studies
Can heritage only exist if it can be measured?
Reflections inspired by a four-year-old's drawing
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Today I take a closer look at one of the most fascinating aspects of the Public Inquiry – not the evidence itself, but how that evidence is presented.
When does advocacy become narrative building? How are facts framed, emphasised, minimised or reinterpreted? And what should third parties be listening out for as the Inquiry continues?
In this episode:
How barristers shape narratives without necessarily disputing facts
The difference between facts and interpretations of facts
Why omitted context can be as important as what is said
The debate around cultural and intangible heritage
Community consultation – what happened and what didn't
The role of commissioners in cutting through competing narratives
Support from government departments and local councils for third-party concerns
Call to Action
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The Mass Rock, Memory and Corporate Colonialism
What is it that makes a place sacred?
In this episode I reflect on childhood memories of an ancient ráth in County Kildare and the deep sense of mystery, belonging and connection it inspired. Those memories lead me to the Crockanboy Mass Rock in the Sperrins and a wider question about heritage, community and who gets to decide what places matter.
In this episode:
The childhood ráth that shaped my understanding of place and belonging
Why sacred places matter beyond their physical form
The history and significance of the Crockanboy Mass Rock
The parallels between British colonialism and modern corporate control of land
Heritage, memory and community stewardship
Why access to cultural and spiritual sites matters
Can a heritage site survive if the connection between people and place is broken?
The Mass Rock survived because generations of people remembered, gathered, walked the old paths and kept its stories alive. The question is whether that living connection can survive today.
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This week I reflect on the growing questions around trust, public accountability and whether public infrastructure is being altered to serve the public interest or private commercial interests.
In this episode:
• The proposed abandonment of a public road
• Public interest versus commercial interest
• Road safety and risk
• The role of DfI Roads
• Communities becoming "receptors"
• Confidence in public institutions
• Trust, transparency and accountability
• Why this inquiry increasingly feels like a debate about democracy itself
A look back at the week's hearings and the questions that continue to hang over the process.
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The afternoon session moved into the world of planning conditions, trigger points and whether the safeguards attached to major developments are actually capable of protecting communities and public infrastructure.
In this episode:
• What planning conditions are and why they matter• The six tests that planning conditions are supposed to satisfy• Debate over trigger points and when development should be allowed to commence• Concerns around the abandonment of the existing road network• Questions about what happens if the proposed replacement road fails safety requirements• Discussion around road adoption and the prospect of private roads• The continuing tension between development objectives and public safety• What today's evidence may reveal about the practical reality of enforcing planning conditions
A closer look at the detail behind the headlines and what it could mean for local communities, infrastructure and accountability within the planning system.
 
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Today’s inquiry heard explosive concerns over the proposed abandonment of the old road and its replacement with what many believe is effectively a mining haul road in disguise — a Via Pretensa.
From traffic chaos and explosives transport, to access to the historic Mass Rock, human rights, road safety, and accusations that local communities are being turned into a “sacrifice zone”, emotions boiled over inside the hearing room.
This episode covers:
The reality behind the proposed “replacement” road
Safety concerns over mine traffic and explosives transport
Access issues surrounding the historic Mass Rock
Claims of inadequate road design and safety standards
Human rights concerns around access, religion, and rural life
Heated exchanges between objectors, consultants, and commissioners

Today at the PAC Inquiry the focus returned once again to the controversial road abandonment and replacement road proposals linked to the Dalradian gold mine application.
Questions around process, fairness, engineering standards and public participation continued to grow as third parties challenged both the procedure and the proposed road design itself.
In this episode:
DfI Roads arrives in force at the Inquiry
Ongoing confusion around the “conjoined inquiry” process
Questions over whether inquiry rules are being selectively applied
Calls for an adjournment after the exclusion of roads expert Doug Hill
Debate over tourism impacts and recreational use of the existing road
Claims the replacement road design falls below acceptable engineering standards
Boy racers, haul roads and “mating circles”
Concerns over safety, gradients, fencing and toxic waste infrastructure
Why campaigners believe this is not a simple replacement road
A daily account from inside the Planning Appeals Commission Inquiry into the proposed Dalradian gold mine in the Sperrins.
 
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Public Inquiry Review of the Week
Growing concerns over procedural fairness and democratic accountability
Retired engineer Douglas Hill challenges the Roads Abandonment process
Local communities defend vital rural infrastructure and public safety
DfI neutrality questioned as confidence in the process continues to erode
Timetable chaos, cancelled hearings and mounting pressure on campaigners
Reflections on environmental justice, public trust and community resistance
The latest from the Save Our Sperrins campaign and the Dalradian inquiry
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In this episode, I unpack the latest developments at the Dalradian public inquiry, including delays, adjournments, and the withdrawal of the judicial review surrounding the landscape hearings.
I also reflect on a powerful discussion with Indigenous climate activist Ariel Deranger and the striking parallels between Indigenous environmental struggles and what communities here in the Sperrins are experiencing today.
Topics covered include:
• Dalradian public inquiry updates• Judicial review withdrawn• Landscape hearings postponed• Roads inquiry continues• Indigenous climate justice• Rural communities and environmental activism• Planning systems and democracy• Save Our Sperrins campaign• Community rights and environmental protection• The human impact of industrial development
This episode explores why communities are increasingly feeling unheard, and why protecting landscape, water, identity, and democracy matters more than ever.
Links from this podcast 
Https://www.thewovenproject.org
eriel@thewovenproject.org 
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