A protest walk in support of keeping an ancient right-of-way open to the public had to be abandoned yesterday after a landowner erected a barricade across the route. Frank McNally reports.
About 300 people - including a number of TDs - took part in the protest in north Co Wicklow, attempting to walk part of the old coach road between Enniskerry and Rathfarnham.
But the group was forced to turn back after a local land-owner, Mr Joe Walker, erected a steel fence across their path. Mr Walker was supported by members of the IFA as he confronted the protesters.
The Enniskerry Walkers Association (EWA) says the right-of-way is documented in a 1757 map of Wicklow. But Mr Walker says the land is private and that he is legally liable for accidents on his property: "If you look at old maps, you'll probably find a right-of-way through the middle of Dáil Éireann too."
Politicians who supported yesterday's walk included the former Labour leader Mr Ruairí Quinn TD, Green TD Mr Ciarán Cuffe, and Wicklow councillors Mr Derek Mitchell (FG) and Ms Deirdre de Búrca (Green Party).
Mr Walker denied a claim by protesters that he has in the past used private security people wearing masks to intimidate those wishing to walk the route. "I do use the services of a private security firm, but they are fully registered, they don't wear balaclavas, and they certainly don't intimidate people."
He accused the protest leaders of being "bullies" and claimed they had destroyed 139 trees on his property by stripping them of bark. The protesters dismiss this as untrue.
"Enniskerry gardaí have investigated the alleged damage and found that hill walkers had nothing to do with it," said Mr Niall Leonach of the EWA, who added it was now up to Wicklow Council to take legal action against the "illegal blockade".