Irish Teacher, Group Battle Fracking With 133-Mile Walk

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Common Dreams

Irish Teacher, Group Battle Fracking With 133-Mile Walk

'Love Leitrim' group to bring anti-fracking message to Irish Parliament

by
Common Dreams staff

Anti-fracking campaigner, teacher and County Leitrim lover Cecily Gilligan. (photo: ‏@LoveLeitrim)

One determined teacher and community group are bringing their anti-fracking message one step at a time through a 133-mile walk in Ireland.

As Australia-based Tamboran Resources eyes northwest Ireland including the county of Leitrim for fracking projects, members of the group Love Leitrim are attempting to "put a human face" on the environmental consequences of fracking. "We're the people that will be impacted and we're the people that need to stand up," explains Cecily Gilligan, a teacher and member of the Love Leitrim group.

Gilligan, who'll be taking on the full 9-day walk, tells the Irish Times, “I hope when I am trudging along that people will ask me what it is all about and that I can explain to them the scale of this huge industrial project and what I believe is the irreversible damage it will do to our landscape and our air and our water.”

Gilligan and her group plan to deliver the voice of the people to the Dáil, the House of Representatives.

“It’s a small gesture but I believe that walking is a very simple powerful and symbolic way of getting your message out to people," Gilligan tells the Irish Times.  "Gandhi did and I hope that if I do get to Dáil Éireannn and get my few blisters along the way, that the politicians will listen to me.”

Their journey began on Saturday, October 27.  You can follow their progress on their Twitter page.

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In this video posted by Love Leitrim, Cecily Gilligan explains why she and other members of the group are making the journey to save Ireland from fracking.  

Naomi Klein Block

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