The Unhappy pair
Flynn brothers object to installation of 5G phone mast beside organic farm as it may damage their business
THEY’RE known as the Happy Pear, but the culinary Flynn twins are not so happy now.
Dave and Steve have objected to the installation of a 5G mobile phone mast beside their organic farm.
The 44-year-old brothers, of the Happy Pear food company, say placing the tower there could cause ‘reputational damage’ to their business.
Their company contacted An Bord Pleanála after permission was given to Cignal Infrastructure for a 35m phone mast in the grounds of the Holy Faith convent in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow, which is right beside their business in north Wicklow.
Younger brother Darragh Flynn, 36, who keeps a lower profile than his siblings, was the one who objected to the mast on behalf of the company.
He complained that erecting it beside the company’s organic farm ‘may cause significant reputational damage as customers may become reluctant to purchase from us given the unknown health impacts of the 5G mast being so close to organic crops’. He also unsuccessfully appealed to the planning department and said the decision to grant the planning application could pose a threat to the staff’s health as well as the ‘biology and biodiversity living on our farm’.
The twins, who set up their lifestyle and food brand in Co. Wicklow in 2004, found themselves in hot water last year for promoting a ‘nonsense’ theory that ‘irresponsibly’ linked antibiotics to depression.
Doctors have warned that the claim has no scientific basis and could stop people seeking life-saving treatment.
‘May be a threat to biology on our farm’
Dave and Steve, who have more than 605,000 followers on Instagram, promoted a podcast interview they held with American physician Dr Zach Bush. Dr Bush stated: ‘Your inability to be joyful, your inability to have pleasure [is harmed] because you took an antibiotic.’
Dr Denis McCauley, GP and vice president of the Irish Medical Organisation, said Dr Bush’s claims were ‘nonsense’.