‘Farmers are willing to open up their land if they get a bit of respect’ – rural Ireland resists ‘right to roam’… but is there an acceptable compromise?
by SeanB2003
‘Farmers are willing to open up their land if they get a bit of respect’ – rural Ireland resists ‘right to roam’… but is there an acceptable compromise?
by SeanB2003
24 comments
The title of the article answers its own question.
People need to respect the farmers’ land. Keep their dog on a leash, don’t leave litter, close gates that are passed through, and keep to the walking route.
Irish people have zero respect for farmers or know the hardship they face everyday.
Won’t happen, there will be litter fucked everywhere, dogs off leads chasing animals and then the solicitors letters will start rolling in 💰
It’s hard enough to keep trespassers out as it is, people have no respect.
Instead of a right to roam, which can sound a bit scary, we need a network of marked hiking paths, similar to what they have in other European countries. The idea that you would need compasses and navigation training to get from A to B is laughable, even in the higher mountains like the Alps. Most hikers are quite happy to stay on a path and not “roam”, but as long as access is a free-for-all landowners will find people making their own routes. A network of good, simple, robust paths, complete with signposts and markings and on a route agreed with the landowner, ideally insured by central government to take the stress off of landowners, would benefit both the owner of the land, the hikers themselves and would be a fantastic resource for locals and tourists.
I know plenty of people who are just pricks too and will decide on if you can walk or not based on their mood, at that moment.
They’ll fuck you out of it one day and then say “I haven’t seen you out the fields” next time you see them in the local shop.
I mean f**k right off, it’s private property. People should absolutely not have a right to access land that isn’t theirs. Plus, we all know that as soon as someone is injured the farmer will be sued because a bunch of woke, self entitled hippies think Ireland should be open
Edit: woke, self entitled hippies think Ireland should be open.
we’ll never have right to roam
Sounds like an insurance nightmare. And can imagine members of the travelling community taking advantage and setting up camp everywhere.
This is what happened with Murder Hole Beach in Donegal where previously people would park on private land verges and walk through and presume it just came to a point where he had enough
A right to roam, or an increase in hiking trails at least, would be a nice thing.
We can’t have nice things in Ireland without some cunt(s) ruining it for everyone.
Irelands legal compo culture means this will never happen. There would be solicitors salivating at the very idea of this. It’s a shame because it would be fantastic.
Land that is deemed worthy of roaming and of use as a tourist spot should be zoned as such and farmers should be supported by payments or whatever to enable people to use their land in a way that works for everyone.
Most land in Ireland is of little touristic use, and the right to roam would only further cause issues with people trespassing on peoples land to probe for burglaries. I’m not a farmer but live in the country and see and hear about this constantly. People out ‘rabbit coursing’ or ‘hunting’.. then a week later a digger goes missing or a tank is emptied.. it’s a major problem and Garda do nothing about it as they have neither the will or resources.
Our cultured friends would ruin it
Depends who’s roaming though doesn’t it.
As much as I would like to have these reopened, the land owners in these properties need **serious** legal protections for it to be fair, and is people can’t try to sue or claim off of them after tripping and hurting their ankle.
If Scotland can manage it so can we
Obligatory “Are you the farmer?” clip.
https://youtu.be/bRTpwyNGT6w?si=7f8AOC_SVgDUL2lB
https://preview.redd.it/rzygsqbzkg4c1.jpeg?width=1848&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ec8d82767502432352b4d16fc3b306e2c8582bb
4 of these lads side by side on a recent hike. Dog attack. It’s not the first time either. Why should farmers open up their land while this continues to happen?
Strong legislation needs to be in place from liability from people injuring themselves on their land. Stiff punishments for people littering, damaging property or letting dogs worry animals. Having had people fly tip on my family’s farm, then have the litter warden say there was nothing he could do. Even though the litter included receipts, addressed letters etc. in the rubbish. I don’t believe the legislation is there yet.
Dogs will be let off leashes , therefore it cant work
Holidayed in Wales last summer, there are so many walking trails everywhere because of the right to roam. Ireland needs more of this.
There is so much more access to countryside in England and its great. The English love their picnics. That should take off here. Its a pitty you have to have land to roam it plus farmland here is destroyed with trees cut down etc it’s not let go wild when it’s most beautiful and beneficial for wildlife habitats. Glad people realise that now.
You can be living in rural Ireland and if you don’t own land you have nowhere to go for walks apart from side of roads unless lucky to have a greenaway.
By “a bit of respect”
They mean money don’t they?
Would be great but it’d be perfect to see big national parks here with wardens and for them to be full of actual indigenous trees and not those dead tree plantations.