ESB masts at summit of Vinegar Hill arouse local criticism

A newly erected ESB mast at the summit of Vinegar Hill in Co Wexford has been described as a monstrosity by the chairman of Enniscorthy Urban District Council. Mr Sean Doyle, an independent councillor, says he has been inundated with calls about the 36metre mast which is to replace an older structure which was reduced in height for the events commemorating the 1798 Rebellion.

The ESB, however, says the mast is necessary to maintain communications with its crews and there is no feasible alternative site.

Mr Doyle says Vinegar Hill, as the scene of the last major battle of the Rebellion, is "sacred" and should have nothing "insensitive or inappropriate" erected on it.

"In any other country, Vinegar Hill, taking into account its historic significance, would be a symbol of national pride and would be looked after by the State.

"It is a symbol of all that is noble and valiant in our people and a centre of pilgrimage for many people with a sense of history and a feeling for the heroic efforts of brave insurgents against a much better-armed force.

"As a landmark, it is a wonderful vantage from which to view the fertile landscapes of Co Wexford and Enniscorthy town nestling beneath its shadow. Any day you go to the top of the hill you will meet visitors from all over the world.

"I was recently there and I met people from Japan and Germany."

They should not, he believes, be confronted on reaching the top by the sight of the tall, fenced-in mast which dominates the immediate surroundings.

An ESB spokesman said there had been a mast on the hilltop for more than 30 years.

It was one of a network of masts around the State which had two functions.

They enabled the company to maintain contact with crews and they carried data "vital for the operation of the power system itself".

The ESB could not depend on other communications systems and needed its own to be certain of reliability at all times.

The original mast, he pointed out, was the same height as the new one but was reduced by half at the request of the organisers of the bicentenary celebrations.

"We did in fact have some communications problems with the lower mast and it is necessary to revert to the original height. The older mast will now be taken down."

The structure was supported by stays, the spokesman added, which meant it was less obtrusive visually than other types of masts.

Mr Doyle, however, says there should be no masts on the hill, a designated national monument.

The structure, he claimed, was "an insult to the memory of all who died on Vinegar Hill on June 21st, 1798".