Glinsc
Encyclopedia
Glinsce is a Gaeltacht
townland
in County Mayo
, Ireland
. It is in the parish of Kilcommon
and barony of Erris
. Glinsc Mountain is a remote area of upland blanket bog with sea cliffs towering 304 metres above sea level to Broadhaven Bay
continuing along the north Mayo coast to a height of 255 metres at Benwee Head
.
period, bog filled lakes and conifer forestry plantations in the area surrounding Glinsc, population is extremely low with no houses in this townland and few within several kilometres surrounding this townland.
The only obvious remains of human habitation in the area is the ruins of a British lookout tower built in 1806 high up on the southern side of Glinsc mountain. The English, having been taken by surprise when the French
landed at Killala
in 1798 Rebellion, were determined that it should not happen again. They built watch towers along the coast, each of which could be seen from the those either side of it. The one built on the southern slopes of Glinsc is situated 927 feet above sea level. The ruins, some eight foot in height can still be seen.
Pobal Chill Chomáin
has suggested that this area would be a more preferable location for the situation of the proposed Corrib Gas terminal and pipeline due to its distance from the densely populated areas surrounding Sruth Fhada Chonn
where the project is the cause of huge controversy
and the target of constant protests by Shell to Sea
and others. However, Royal Dutch Shell
and Statoil
, the multinational corporations behind the Corrib gas project
are resolutely refusing to be convinced that Glinsc might be a better option for their fossil fuel
exploitation project.
combination at this site. This is a sustainable energy
proposal involving renewable resources for electricity production rather than outdated fossil fuel
resources. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0303/1224265502661.htmlhttp://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0313/1224266169572.htmlhttp://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9163:sea-water-energy-planned-for-glinsk&catid=23:news&Itemid=46 One problem with energy production/electricity generation
in this very exposed area may be putting in place the necessary infrastructure
as North Mayo has always been at the end of the line in terms of energy generation in Ireland. The local residents are of the opinion that new infrastructure
in terms of power lines
will need to be underground cabling
rather than overhead power lines.
Then again, as history
and prehistory
has shown so many times across the world, cities (even capital ones!) in the wrong locations may find they have to relocate to where natural resources, such as sustainable energy
technologies and freshwater
are in plentiful supply!
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is in the parish of Kilcommon
Kilcommon
Kilcommon is a civil parish in Erris, north Mayo consisting of two large peninsulas; Dún Chaocháin and Dún Chiortáin. It consists of 37 townlands, some of which are so remote that they have no inhabitants...
and barony of Erris
Erris
Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...
. Glinsc Mountain is a remote area of upland blanket bog with sea cliffs towering 304 metres above sea level to Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean situated on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side with approximately 8.6 km between the two sides.It borders...
continuing along the north Mayo coast to a height of 255 metres at Benwee Head
Benwee Head
Benwee Head Cliffs County MayoGaelic: An Bhinn BhuíHeight: 304 metres OS 1/50k Mapsheet: 22 for topGrid Ref: F816 443 Latitude: 54.333659 Longitude: -9.820924ITM: 481576 844301 Prominence: 230m Isolation: 5.4 km...
.
History/Geography
Due to particularly ancient blanket bog deposits, believed to predate the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period, bog filled lakes and conifer forestry plantations in the area surrounding Glinsc, population is extremely low with no houses in this townland and few within several kilometres surrounding this townland.
The only obvious remains of human habitation in the area is the ruins of a British lookout tower built in 1806 high up on the southern side of Glinsc mountain. The English, having been taken by surprise when the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
landed at Killala
Killala
Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...
in 1798 Rebellion, were determined that it should not happen again. They built watch towers along the coast, each of which could be seen from the those either side of it. The one built on the southern slopes of Glinsc is situated 927 feet above sea level. The ruins, some eight foot in height can still be seen.
Pobal Chill Chomáin
Pobal Chill Chomáin
Pobal Chill Chomáin is a pressure group based in the parish of Kilcommon, Erris County Mayo, Ireland. It emerged from the larger Shell to Sea campaign in April 2008...
has suggested that this area would be a more preferable location for the situation of the proposed Corrib Gas terminal and pipeline due to its distance from the densely populated areas surrounding Sruth Fhada Chonn
Sruwaddacon Bay
Sruwaddacon Bay is a tidal estuary which runs through the middle of the Gaeltacht Kilcommon Parish, Erris, North County Mayo; it is of historical importance in Irish legend, an important marine habitat, an E.U. Special Area of Conservation and an E.U...
where the project is the cause of huge controversy
Corrib gas controversy
The Corrib gas controversy concerns plans by Shell E&P Ireland, Statoil Exploration Limited, Vermilion Energy Trust and the Irish government for processing the Corrib gas field through Broadhaven Bay and Sruth Fada Conn Bay in Kilcommon parish, Erris, County Mayo, and objections raised against...
and the target of constant protests by Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea is a campaign based in Cill Chomáin parish, Erris, County Mayo, Ireland which opposes the proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline through the parish and the ongoing construction by Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Vermilion Energy Trust of a refinery at Bellanaboy intended to...
and others. However, Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
and Statoil
Statoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
, the multinational corporations behind the Corrib gas project
Corrib gas controversy
The Corrib gas controversy concerns plans by Shell E&P Ireland, Statoil Exploration Limited, Vermilion Energy Trust and the Irish government for processing the Corrib gas field through Broadhaven Bay and Sruth Fada Conn Bay in Kilcommon parish, Erris, County Mayo, and objections raised against...
are resolutely refusing to be convinced that Glinsc might be a better option for their fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
exploitation project.
Sea-Water Energy Hydro-electric/Wind Farm project proposal 2010
There is, in the pipeline, a proposal to build a hydroelectric/wind farmWind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
combination at this site. This is a sustainable energy
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
proposal involving renewable resources for electricity production rather than outdated fossil fuel
Fossil fuel
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years...
resources. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0303/1224265502661.htmlhttp://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0313/1224266169572.htmlhttp://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9163:sea-water-energy-planned-for-glinsk&catid=23:news&Itemid=46 One problem with energy production/electricity generation
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
in this very exposed area may be putting in place the necessary infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
as North Mayo has always been at the end of the line in terms of energy generation in Ireland. The local residents are of the opinion that new infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
in terms of power lines
High voltage cable
A high voltage cable - also called HV cable - is used for electric power transmission at high voltage. High voltage cables of differing types have a variety of applications in instruments, ignition systems, AC and DC power transmission...
will need to be underground cabling
Electric power transmission
Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...
rather than overhead power lines.
Then again, as history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and prehistory
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
has shown so many times across the world, cities (even capital ones!) in the wrong locations may find they have to relocate to where natural resources, such as sustainable energy
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
technologies and freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
are in plentiful supply!