Athlete to battle ESB cables
Bantry man Joe Burke battled for survival when he suffered double kidney failure 15 years ago.
He now faces a new battle keeping the ESB from erecting 38Kv cables over his land to a planned privately-owned windfarm.
A silver medallist at the European Transplant Games in Slovenia last year, father-of-two Mr Burke said competing for Ireland in the world games would have been a dream come true.
"The dream is shattered, now," he said yesterday, "but it would have been more distressing to return from Canada to discover pylons running through my lands."
Heading up an action group concerned about the health risks of overhead lines close to domestic dwellings, Mr Burke, 37, said: "The ESB and the developer will not step down neither will I or the other land owners. If it's a battle they want, we are prepared. The gates are locked and they are not coming onto our lands."
The Bantry Concerned Action Group had offered the option to the ESB and the private developer of running an underground cable from Dromourneen, east of Bantry across more than 40 farms to a sub-station at Ballylickey, west of the harbour town. But the offer was rejected by both the ESB and the private developer.
The ESB also dismissed claims from the action group that the overhead cables posed a leukaemia risk, particular to children living close to pylons.
A spokesperson for ESB Networks said the company was anxious to avoid confrontation with landowners but was being guided by the planning process in the erection of the medium voltage lines. Cork County Council and Bord Pleanala gave the green light for overhead lines.
Locals fear ESB crews will move on site this week.
Mr Burke said: "It's heartbreak to be here while the rest of the squad competes in Canada.
"But I was in a difficult situation I knew the developer wouldn't step down and the action group was not prepared to step down."
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