Councils call foul over Shannon bird move

LOCAL authorities in the mid-west are ‘aflutter’ over state plans to designate the entire lower Shannon estuary a special protected area for birds such as the black-tailed godwit and redshank.

Clare County Council, Limerick County Council and the Midwest Regional Authority believe that the blanket designation for the birds will block further big industry locating on the estuary.

The estuary is already home to the largest coal-burning station in the country at Moneypoint and the alumina refinery at Aughinish Alumina.