Human Rights in the Hills: Mary Lawlor on Defending the Defenders

What happens when a rural community stands its ground for ten years—and the world begins to take notice?

In this special anniversary episode, we’re joined by Mary Lawlor, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, to reflect on the ongoing campaign to protect the Sperrin Mountains from gold mining. Mary shares her insights on the global patterns of repression facing environmental defenders, the right to protest, and why the Sperrins have become a case study in grassroots resistance.

We explore her past interventions, including her 2020 response to concerns about policing of peaceful protest in the region, and discuss new challenges in the post-Brexit legal landscape—including the recent NIHRC report on environmental rights and the Windsor Framework.

Recorded to mark the 10th anniversary of Save Our Sperrins, this episode is a reminder that the struggle for clean air, pure water, and respect for community voices is not just local—it’s universal.

Listen in as we connect the hills of Tyrone to the halls of the United Nations.

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LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW 

https://www.facebook.com/MaryLawlorHRDs

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/

SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) 

https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins

LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES 

http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/

Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction.

https://yestolifenotomining.org/

The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169

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 organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  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

LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine ) 

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc