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Updated 3.12 pm
THE 100M TALL ‘No’ banner that was placed on Ben Bulben in Sligo has been removed overnight.
The sign had been placed there by the Sligo for Life group in the early hours of yesterday morning but it provoked controversy in the 24 hours it was up.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service had called for its removal, stating that: “The insinuation of alien materials such as this onto a special area of conservation is insensitive to its conservation status and incompatible with the habitat.”
An Taisce also submitted a legal complaint to Sligo County Council regarding the sign.
This morning, a number of Sligo locals have posted images of the mountain showing that most of the lettering has been removed.
Gerry O'Donnell / TwitterNO MORE
— Gerry O'Donnell (@gerryodonnell0) May 18, 2018
No campaign controversial banner removed from #Benbulben overnight,
but by who?
Feel free to share.@OceanFmIreland @rtenews @TodayFMNews #sligo #repealthe8th pic.twitter.com/tqKeZ8Edgj
Tommy Banks of Sligo for Life said yesterday that the letters were made of cladding and pictures from this morning show only debris remaining.
Speaking to local broadcaster Ocean FM this morning, Banks said that the No sign was “vandalised” and that that Yes campaigners had threatened to remove it.
“A threat was made from some of the Yes people, one of them came to me and said: ‘That will come down’. So that was reported to the guards. It was private property,” Banks said.
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It’s an incredible event year on year, great credit has to go to Anna May for building the ploughing into the success it is.
Does the pic of Anna May with 2 men really have to point out that she’s the one on the right???
Great for most local businesses. But some self employed can’t work for the week. Tough shit for our loss yeah?
I’m no fan of the IFA, but this is brilliantly organised year on year. If you have the opportunity to go, take it.
If ms mchugh is worried about the we at her she should sacrifice to Zeus – l believe two cocks is the acceptable offering – but then where would she source two cocks????
It’s a big shakedown of old farmers and their imbecile sons. Let them in to kick tractor tyres and then raid their pockets. They come back every year for more of it. Gas craic altogether.
have your say