Crass vandalism shameful and offensive

The annual but illegal gorse burning season is upon us.

The first major incident of the year has occurred in the Gougane Barra area, right at the heart of Agriculture Minister Michael Creed’s Cork North-West constituency. There is no connection between those facts, yet it is sadly symbolic.

Out-of-season gorse burning, seen more as a tradition than an offence in many parts of Ireland, is a crime but one with little or no consequences for those who set the fires. It destroys wildlife, especially nesting birds, when they are most vulnerable. Reports of animal screams as the fire advanced across thousands of acres shows how indiscriminate and dangerous an out-of-control mountain fire can be.