Glen Of The Downs

Since the summer of 1997, there has been a permanent camp at Glen of the Downs nature reserve to thwart the latest road scheme of Wicklow County Council. On December 7th workers felled about fifty trees - a beautiful ash grove at the entrance to the car park - before determined activists forced them to back off. Tree houses were occupied, lock-ons activated, tunnels shut from the inside. By nightfall more than sixty activists were in the Glen, prepared to stay. Every morning brought the possibility of further felling. On Friday December 10th, the Council's contract workers once again attempted to fell trees. This time they only managed to cut 3 before the activists presence made them back off. A legal defence meanwhile failed and the government declared the Glen closed to public. A gathering on 2nd January and the public generally defied the ban.