Gorse fires will scare off rural tourists

MOUNTAINEERS have warned farmers will ruin tourism in Ireland’s popular mountain regions with illegal, uncontrolled gorse fires.

Raging fires have reaped havoc in rural parts of Cork, Galway, Waterford, Kildare and Carlow in recent weeks and killed wildlife and plants that are deemed vital to a mountain’s eco-system.

Some of the fires have occurred in special areas of conservation, including parts of National Park lands around Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains.

Groups of tourists have already complained to guides and members of Mountaineering Ireland, the national governing body for hillwalking and climbing, about the fires and described them as “shocking”.

No owners of illegally burnt land have been prosecuted or penalised by the Department of Agriculture, despite the introduction of rules that see farmers with burnt land deemed ineligible for the single farm payments.

Russell Mills, owner of Mountaintrails guided tours, said he was concerned the widespread burning would stop tourists coming to Ireland after a recent trip to Glendalough.

“I was up there with some clients and it suddenly hit us. There was a smell of burning and then we could see this huge area of blackened earth,” said Mr Mills.

“The side of the mountain there has been burned for a stretch about 2km long. They were asking what was going on and was it supposed to look like this. I explained that it was illegal burning and they were in the National Park, so it shouldn’t be burned. They were shocked and disappointed.”

Farmers burn gorse to manage and regenerate lands, but it is not allowed in March and April, months when many fires occur because weather conditions are drier.