Sir, – There is an ironic background to the story “16 taken from Wicklow mountains” (Breaking News, October 24th). The members of the hillwalking club who had to be rescued near Glenmacnass in Co Wicklow belong to the same club that offered €10,000 to the Wicklow Mountains National Park authorities to fund a footbridge above Glenmacnass Waterfall. This footbridge, had it been constructed, would have saved these walkers (and their rescuers) much trauma. However, the National Park spurned the offer on three grounds, one of which unbelievably was for safety considerations! I suspect that the real reason for the refusal is that the National Park has been primarily designated (except at Glendalough) for conservation rather than recreation, even though this is highly inappropriate in a mountain area so close to a large conurbation. To allow a footbridge at Glenmacnass would therefore have set an undesirable precedent.
Irish walkers, always prepared to be grateful for crumbs, have weakly acquiesced. However, don’t expect these meek ones to inherit the earth, specifically and part of Irish earth. – Yours, etc,