Rural Ireland takes on Greens in fiery turf war

BOG off! That was the message from the Midlands to the Green Party this weekend at their annual conference.

- FERGHAL BLANEY

The Greens chose to hold their first post-pando conference since entering Government right in the centre of Ireland, in the heart of the boglands.

Brave – or stupid – choice in the year their turf ban was lambasted as an attack on rural communities that rely on it as a traditional fuel source.

Ryan said the ban was needed as too many people were dying from air pollution caused by the use of it.

The turfmen took their chance to have their say – on home turf, as it were. The crowd of 20 to 30 protesters from the Irish Rural Association picketed outside the Radisson hotel venue on the waterfront in medieval Athlone.