Rural lobby group set up

A LOBBY group representing fishermen, farmers, publicans and other rural industries will be established in west Cork tonight.

The Rural Ireland Alliance will highlight concerns about the future sustainability of rural Ireland, bring a variety of different interests under one umbrella and is prepared to run a candidate in future general elections should the need arise, according to one of the group’s five founders, Sheehan’s Fishing Company in Castletownbere.

The firm’s managing director, Eddie Sheehan, said: “This is an alliance between trawlermen, inshore fishermen, farmers, publicans and anybody who has a vested interest in seeing a sustainable future for rural Ireland.