Jeremy Irons joins fight against plastics factory

Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons has weighed into the campaign against a plastics factory in Skibbereen, calling the plan a “hopeless misjudgement” and vowing to fight it.

His message was brought by filmmaker David Puttnam to a packed meeting in Skibbereen of people against the proposed development, which was granted planning permission earlier this month by An Bord Pleanála (ABP).

At the meeting, one of the original appellants, Brendan McCarthy, confirmed that a judicial review would be lodged in the New Year, with an accompanying fundraising campaign.

The meeting was held under the banner of the Save Our Skibbereen group, whose website now features a ‘donate’ function. It’s understood the group aim to raise an initial €15,000.

Both An Bord Pleanála and the IDA have defended the decision by the board to grant planning permission, despite ABP’s own inspector saying he would not grant permission.

At last night’s meeting, Mr Puttnam said the proposed factory could not be described as light industry and said that, aside from the concerns of local people, the plan was also “an advertiser’s nightmare”, given the funding that had gone into creating the successful Wild Atlantic Way brand.

He also brought a personal message from Irons, another local resident, who said he was sorry he could not attend as he is currently filming in the US.

All of us who live and spend time in West Cork know how extraordinarily privileged we are,” it said.

“I’ve already spoken about the hopeless misjudgement of inflicting the development of a plastics factory on the people of West Cork — most particularly on our children and grandchildren.

“I’ll continue to do all I can to fight what can only become a blight on the face of one of the last few truly sustainable places on earth.”

Efforts by the Irish Examiner to gain comment this week from RTP, the American parent company behind the proposed facility, have so far been unsuccessful.