THE BATTLE FOR BAGINBUN
Electric gates erected at entrance to headland by owner of land
‘ TRESPASSERS’ have been barred from entering one of the region’s most historic areas after large electric gates were erected at the entrance to Baginbun headland.
The majority of land on the headland is owned by Dominic and Anita McNamara, who reside in the Martello Tower overlooking Baginbun beach.
Mr McNamara said he had to erect gates because of the harassing behaviour of youths in the area.
The decision has sparked outrage locally among residents, who believed they had a right of way.
ELECTRIC GATES erected at the entrance to the historic Baginbun headland have caused outrage and upset people living in the Fethardon-Sea area.
The gates are erected at the entrance point to the headland where locals and visitors to the area enjoyed coastal walks and the chance to see ancient overgrown Norman fortifications. The majority of land on the headland is owned by Dominic and Anita McNamara, who reside in the Martello Tower overlooking Baginbun beach, where the Normans landed in May 1170. The group of around 100 Anglo-Normans, under the leadership of Raymond Le Gros, landed at the cliff bounded promontory, where a defensive trading earthwork known as Domhnaill’s Fort survived across the neck of the secondary headland. The name Strongbow is listed on old Ordinance Survey maps of the headland at Baginbun, an area which was key to the development of a strong Norman presence in Ireland as immortalised in the famous couplet: ‘At the creek of Baginbun Ireland was lost and won’.
Defending his decision to erect the gates, Dominic said anti social behaviour and constant littering on the headland led him to secure the property.
Fethard-on-Sea man Dixie Chapman, who grew up opposite the headland, said he is unhappy about the way in which the gates were erected, making access to the headland very restricted.
Dixie said: ‘I’m going down there all my life time because we were born on Chapman’s farm just opposite there. I thought there was a right of way. A lot of the old people and the newcomers did too.’
He said the headland was fully accessible through a gate closer to the beach up until earlier this summer, adding that it is one of Ireland’s most historic sites as the Normans arrived at Baginbun in 1170, having first entered the country through Bannow Bay a year previously. ‘ There is a monument that my brother Joe built at Baginbun beach to commemorate the Norman landings which is there around 40 years. We lived right as far as Baginbun Beach. Hickeys owned the land at the opposite side. Right at the point of the land is all the tower land. There is a small bit of land belonging to Declan Hearne who had a right of way through that to get to his bit of land.’
The gates, which are at least 7ft high, cut right into the ditch at both sides, preventing access to the headland. ‘Lifetimes and generations have had that belief there was (right of way) access. We have always gone over by the cliff and to the dunes are over at Declan’s land and to the other dunes over by where the gates are. I don’t understand how this has been allowed.’
Dixie said the previous owner built a swimming pool down at sea level which people enjoyed swimming in, adding that he understands why Dominic would not want people using it as it is located very close to his property. ‘It was an accident waiting to happen. I wouldn’t mind him blocking that end of it on health and safety grounds and for confidentiality and privacy reasons with people walking right by the windows, but he didn’t have to block off the other end where people could go down on the cliffs and fish. People would ask you where are the Norman landings and ruins and sights and all you can do is point to the hills in the distance. Has he got a right to do that? I don’t like the idea that the gates are up. I think it’s wrong. It’s one of Ireland’s most historic areas.’
The retired fisherman said: ‘I don’t like it. The gates just went up. I built a new entrance up to the tower years ago but I didn’t expecting him to put up gates blocking the whole place. They are lovely people but that doesn’t make them insensible to other people.’
He clearly recalls climbing a ‘ Dandy Pole’ near where the gates have been erected. ‘People would climb up the steps and have their picture taken on the pole.’
Dominic said he had to erect gates because of the harassing behaviour of youths in the area. ‘I have a private garden which opens to public property. The problem with living at the seaside is that people go to the beach and when they get bored of it they go for a walk and there is no public right of way. People have the impression that they can go walk right through our land. To a great extent we allowed people to walk through the land. People had picnics there and then we were inundated with mostly youths who came in gangs. They were intimidating and I had to call the gardaí several times. I probably did foolish things when I was young, but they are so much more disrespectful.’
He said on one occasion he turned away a 14-year-old youth from his land only for the boy to turn around and pull down his pants. ‘He threatened that he was going to tell the guards I was a paedophile.’ On another occasion around forty beer bottles were flung from the cliff edge on to the rocks below, which he had to clean up, along with pizza boxes. Dominic said he cleans up the ditches bordering his property regularly. ‘Last night I was out with a a bag and found nappies, beer cans, rubbish and childrens’ socks. The children didn’t put them there themselves.’
Dominic has lived for 40 years at Baginbun with Anita and spent a lot of that time working away. He said some people say there has always been walking along by the cliffs and by his land. ‘ They have been trespassing for years. It’s our home. We will take care of it as long as we own it,’ he said.
Describing the Baginbun headland as a very important historic location, Dominic said people can still access remains of the Norman fortifications by contacting him. Declan Hearne has access by agreement with Dominic. ‘We are the ones who are trying to mind the place. I love the place and open it to scholars from Trinity and elsewhere who are interested in coming down to see the fortifications (at the ditch which is overgrown). It has a preservation order on it.’
He said people can still view the Norman fortifications from the lane, but when pressed on the matter said they are not as accessible as they previously were. ‘ The field with the fortifications is adjacent to the road. I have never objected to anyone (coming to see them) as I am interested in history.’
Despite the fact that the Norman Way was launched two years ago nobody from Wexford County Council contacted Dominic about the Norman fortifications, he said. He said insurance was also on his mind in relation to securing his land and tower, but stressed that the real reason he erected the gates was necessitated by having to re-direct the driveway after the previous driveway was all but swept away in a storm earlier this year.
New Ross District Director Eamonn Hore said: ‘It does cause upset when people had access and no longer have accesss. It’s significant that Strongbow is listed on the old OS maps.’