Walk the Ring Fundraiser

Local action group, Move the Mast held a community fundraiser in Cloughjordan to raise funds for its legal case against the 15m tall 5G mast that is to be built in a site next to St Michael’s NS in Cloughjordan.

Their sponsored walk, which had the participation of school children and parents from St Michael’s NS, raised €5,085 towards the school’s legal fees against the proposed 5G mast which has been approved by An Bord Pleanála, despite opposition from locals in Cloughjordan.

According to Viv Dooley, principal of St Michaels NS in Cloughjordan, this event was well supported by the school community.

“Brilliantly, we had a great turn out on the walk and a fantastic return out on the cards,” commented Viv Dooley.

“We are trying to prevent Eir from building a new mast here, 15m tall, right beside the school, seven metres away from the school building,” he explained.

As explained by Kerri Cleary, Move the Mast community action group member, the community group believes the site next to the school is not an appropriate place for the mast:

“We are an action group who are helping the school take out a judicial review to hopefully stop the proposed 5G mast next to the school.

“We are not opposed to 5G masts in general. We know that we need that kind of infrastructure to move ourselves forward, but we just feel like right next to the school, behind homes, next to a creche, in the middle of Cloughjordan village is just not an appropriate place for it,” she explained.

“It also contravenes Tipperary Planning Laws that state that it should only be next to schools and homes as a last resort and we know this is not a last resort,” she continued. “We have been told by our solicitors that we have got a judicial review, so that could take a couple of years, but it means that at some stage the decision to allow the mast here will be reviewed by a judge who will say if they think it is an appropriate decision,” said Ms Cleary.