The proposed new N4 route corridor between Mullingar and Roosky will threaten the existence of several Special Areas of Conservation (SACs ) and National Heritage Areas (NHAs ) of European importance, according to a speaker at a public meeting in Multyfarnham on Tuesday night.
Ms Catherine Jessup, who holds a Batchelor of Science (Honours ) in Ecology, warned the 200 people who attended the meeting in St Cremin's National School that building the 50 kilometre new N4 route would cause severe damage to animals and plants that are hugely significant. She predicted that building the green route would damage Scragh Bog and Garriskil Bog which are raised bogs and SACs. It would change the water level (located on the south east side of Scragh Bog ), which is also a nature reserve.
Scragh Bog boasts a huge number of plant species including one which is extremely rare in Europe, in addition to accommodating a high number of invertebrates which is also rare in European terms. The bog also supports a population of Marsh Fritillary butterfly, which “is of high conservation value and is listed on Annex 11 of the EU Habitats Directive”. In addition, the bog has three flightless beetles which is indicative of very old wetland.
Ms Jessup also informed the meeting that the land on which the National Roads Authority proposes to build also serves as a wildlife corridor between Lough Garr (an NHA protected by Irish law ) and Garriskil Bog (a SAC, which is protected by European law ). She added, “Garriskil Bog has one of the best developed pool systems of any remaining raised bog in the country. The site is of unique conservation value. This habitat is increasingly under threat in Ireland.”
Garriskil Bog is also home to the scarce lichen flora Cladonia rangiferina. The area is also used by the Greenland white-fronted goose flock and a pair of merlins, both of which are of high conservation value and listed in the EU Birds Directive. Catherine Jessup noted that the three proposed routes run between Lough Derravaragh and Lough Owel, both of which are SACs. The proposed orange route runs close to Glen Lake which is an SAC, and it also runs close to Ballinafid Lake, which is a proposed NHA. Both the orange and red routes run very close to Lough Iron, another SAC.
Mullingar businessman Niall Murray, who chaired Tuesday night's meeting, said that the purpose of the meeting was to inform the local population of the proposals and to give advice on making submissions. The submissions must be made by Friday October 10 to Ambrose Clarke, NRA Roads Office, Cullionbeg, Mullingar. A submission of the local working group will carry the names of the 200 people who attended Tuesday night’s meeting. It is proposed to write to these people in the coming days, to give them a point of contact for leaving submissions, or receiving help with same.
