MOUNTAIN VANDALISM
ESTIMATED 600-1000 STONES SPRAY PAINTED ON HILLS
THE wanton vandalism of hundreds of rocks spray-painted recently on the Cooley Mountains is ‘completely unacceptable’ a meeting in Mullaghbouy has heard.
The issue was highlighted by qualified mountain leader Derek Watters who first spotted the hundreds of yellow arrows last week. He said: ‘On investigation I was shocked and saddened to find that the 600 or so arrows that had been sprayed onto the rocks last October had been resprayed. Indeed there were many new ones too.
‘Some individual rocks had two or even three arrows on them. This is unnecessary vandalism. I estimate there are around 1,000 arrows across the 17km route from Flagstaff to Carlingford, via Angelsey, Clermont, Clermont Cairn, Carnawaddy, Moneycrockroe, Foxes Rock, Raven Rock, Split Rock, Eagles Rock, Carlingford Mountain and Slieve Foy.
‘ The arrows provide a false sense of security and encourage people into areas of the mountains they are neither equipped or experienced enough to be in. The problem is the arrows only go one way and are only on one side of the rocks and retracing your steps is a difficult if not impossible task.
‘ The paint chemicals are a source of pollution. They concentrate the footfall into narrow areas, creating new tracks, causing erosion.
‘It could take up to a decade for the rocks to return to their original condition as lichens are killed. In October 2016 I had hoped that this would not occur again. I have tried to remove some paint on previous occasions but the task is an impossible one’. The meeting last Friday was attended by landowners, hillwalkers, Gardai, local councillors and locals.
Matthew McGreehan said: ‘We all agreed that this is unacceptable and we must get the word out the Louth countryside code must be upheld and ‘ to leave no trace’.
‘When a new NPWS conservation officer is appointed later this month we intend to meet with them and discuss the possibility of removing the paint. People who do not respect the mountains are not welcome and have no right to carry out anything that would interfere in anyway with our mountain; people are welcome to come and enjoy our mountains but must respect property rights and the countryside code.
‘I was very encouraged at the response from the people who attended the meeting. Also at the meeting was the Gardai which showed how seriously this is being taken and also Helen Lawless of Mountaineering Ireland representing people who use the hills as a form of recreation and who also was of the view that this should not be happening’.