Sperrin Mountains gold mine inquiry wraps up after 52 days of evidence

Detailed summary

A long-awaited public inquiry into plans for a controversial gold mine in Northern Ireland has finally closed after 52 days in which dozens of experts dissected thousands of pages…

A long-awaited public inquiry into plans for a controversial gold mine in Northern Ireland has finally closed after 52 days in which dozens of experts dissected thousands of pages of evidence.

Battle lines were first drawn over the future of a rural Co Tyrone village, and connected waterways running through counties Donegal and Derry to the sea, when Dalradian Gold arrived 17 years ago.

In the time since, the multinational’s bid to mine in the Sperrin Mountains designated area of outstanding natural beauty amassed almost 50,000 objections, according to Belfast-based news and investigations website The Detail.

Dalradian Gold, owned by US investment firm Orion Resource Partners, said it will build an environmentally responsible mine to extract metals worth about £26 billion (€31 million).

It also stated the project would create 350 jobs and boost the local economy.

Backlash to the planning application saw the North’s former infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon call a public inquiry into the proposed gold, silver, copper and metal mine in 2020.

Opposition to the application came from a range of sources, including the local council, campaign group Save Our Sperrins and Ireland’s national trust, An Taisce.

After two false starts, the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) began examining the application at Omagh’s Strule Arts Centre in April.

The process was originally timetabled for 20 days. Chaired by Jaqueline McParland with support from Cathy McKeary and Kenneth Donaghey, the commissioners soon doubled the schedule as discussions took longer than anticipated.

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