At Ennis District Court, Judge Adrian Harris recorded a conviction against Martin Feeney of Mincloon, Rahoon, Galway, stating that around 10 acres of limestone pavement had been destroyed through his actions. Feeney pleaded guilty to two offences under environmental law. He was fined €3,000 and ordered to pay costs of €6,307.

Helen Carty, Regional Manager with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), told the court that reclamation works carried out by Feeney between March and August 2022 had damaged 4.3 hectares of priority habitat. She described limestone pavements as “extremely rare and unique” and highlighted their protection under the EU Habitats Directive, stressing that “any loss of priority habitat is significant.”

The works involved removing limestone blocks, infilling the area with material from a nearby drumlin, levelling it, and reseeding for agriculture. Large boulders, believed to have been taken from the SAC, were also used to build a wall on the site. Before-and-after satellite images, along with aerial photographs, were presented in evidence.

Carty noted that Feeney was “extremely uncooperative” during a site inspection in January 2024, which required garda assistance.

Defence council Evan O’Donnell said Feeney accepted the State’s evidence and was taking responsibility, but argued against a conviction. He noted that Feeney believed his works were lawful, pointed to untouched limestone on his land, and highlighted his recent ill health and retirement from farming.

The prosecution, led by Thomas Wallace O’Donnell BL for the Department of the Environment, insisted a conviction was necessary given the damage to a protected area.