Shell Sparks in Erris

mayo | environment | opinion/analysis Sunday October 15, 2006 17:22 by Shell to Sea Supporter

The enormity of a spark

Shell gas leaks and sparks

Last week the Environment Society of UL held a lively meeting on the Shell to Sea issue. In microcosm the agitation in the meeting mirrored that in any local community about to be forced to face a multinational in its midst.

One perceptive commentator insisted on the essential spark to ignite the non odorous gas. There is no shortage of sparks in Rossport and surrounds. At almost every house treading the hills around is a large heap of fresh dry turf stored for open hearth fires all through the winter. Millions of sparks on any one night so God help any wisp of escaping non odorous gas lurking around. The spark too late will be the almighty harbinger of destruction.

On the bogs of Donegal in high summer at the first sound of a roll of thunder everyone deserts the bog at once. It is known that the minerals under the peat draw the lightning leading to those creeping bog fires that crawl silently along. What if they meet a wisp of gas. There are continuous fires in the English moors. They burn for weeks. Fire is a reality on bogs.

Blacksmiths still carry on their art in Erris and is only possible with heat and the sparks that jump out of the hammers that strike iron. There are cigarette smokers and Christmas and Church candles. And big bonfires on John's night in June. Not a great place to have raw high pressure gas in proximity. Anyone grasps the danger.