After the Goldrush by Gerry McGovern

Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block.This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organizing to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell iron to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this.

Ireland is the 13th worst country in the world for biodiversity. We are internationally recognized as an ecological desert. “Ireland is one of the worst places on the entire planet for nature,” according to author Eoghan Daltun. And the vast majority of the damage has been done in the last 50 years. Ireland has a legally binding target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 by 51%. It’s on course to get a 29% reduction. That’s 43% below target. Not to worry, we’re No 1 in the world for data center and mining-friendliness, which will increase pollution even more, with our “practical” environmental regulations and can-do, go-getter attitude. In this episode, you’ll hear an overview of the mining situation in Ireland from Environmental Justice Network Ireland and the Yes to Life No to Mining representative, Lynda Sullivan. You’ll also hear from Jacintha van Roij, a founder member of Keep Tulla Untouched, a grassroots action group set up in response to the application and granting of a gold prospecting mining license for 52 townlands around Tulla, County Clare.

There’s a word that kept coming up in practically every conversation I’ve had with environmental protectors up and down the country of Ireland. That word was “gold”. According to my analysis, of the 400 or so current prospecting licenses issued by the Irish State, 91% of them involve prospecting for gold. Gold is not a critical material for the so-called renewable energy transition, as Jacintha van Roij so elegantly pointed out in our previous episode. In this episode, we’ll hear from Eamma Karan, who is a member of the excellent Futureproof Clare campaigning group, who are working so hard on so many fronts, including educating communities on the dangers of mining and data centers. We’ll also her from Fidelma O’Kane, who is a driving force behind opposition to a Dalradian goldmine in Northern Ireland, and whose community has received death threats because of their peaceful efforts. 

In this episode, we’ll hear from Anthony McNulty in Wicklow about what the local community is doing to oppose lithium mining there, and how the government is trying to tell them as little as possible. We’ll hear from Eddie Mitchell about gold mining in Leitrim, and how the local community has already managed to stop fracking.

What’s it like to live with mining? Since the 1990s, Pat and Nuala Geoghegan, their family, neighbours, animals and environment in county Limerick, have suffered the consequences. We’ll hear their tragic yet defiant story later in the episode. Geraldine Ward, her family and neighbors have lived for generations with impacts of mining. Geraldine is a housewife, spokeswoman and vice chairperson for the Drumgossatt / Knocknacran residence group in County Monaghan.

Ghanian environmental protector Perk Pomeyie tells us about how mining for aluminum is devastating the tropical forests of Ghana. Pietro Jarre, a mining waste engineer, with thirty years’ experience, tells us how there is no such thing as sustainable mining. 

In this final episode, we’ll hear from Caroline Whyte, an ecological economist, who has a clear set of steps that can help us heal at least part of the damage we’ve done. We’ll also explore the Degrowth Movement which asks us nothing more than to live sustainably with the resources available.