Big support for ‘Pitch on the Pitch’ mica redress demonstration
There was a strong show of support for a ‘pitch on the pitch’ demonstration in Buncrana to highlight how mica-affected families could be left homeless.
The demonstration was organised by Brian and Hayley Quinn in Buncrana on Saturday on the GAA pitch.
Hayley told the Journal that while she and Brian are not personally affected by mica, they have a young family and ‘it is heartbreaking to see what other families are going through.’
“My husband Brian is the one who came up with the idea. He wanted to do something to try and help these families. The idea of this demonstration was to keep Mica/pyrite in the headlines and to highlight the seriousness of this situation - that Donegal could have people ‘homeless,’ living in tents due to no fault of their own if 100% redress isn’t granted soon.”
The couple was supported by other mica/pyrite campaigners and Buncrana GAA offered the pitch. Businesses from across Donegal offered premises for drop-off points, Jason from mediaexpert.ie captured drone footage on the day and homeless campaigners from inside and outside the county offered support.
Around 60 tents were erected and those in attendance included homelessness activists Allie ní Ghallchóir and Don Mc Guinness from Donegal Housing Homeless Coalition. Tony Walsh, co-founder of Feed Our Homeless Dublin also travelled up from Dublin to lend his support.
“Tony helps the homeless in Dublin every day, and he doesn’t want to see people from rural Ireland fall victim to an already out of control housing crisis due to homes crumbling and due to no fault of their own. Concern is growing from mica campaigners as the Government are still dragging this out with still no answers for these affected home owners. We do not want to be holding these type of demonstrations, these people have been through enough but this is what we have been reduced to. It is inhuman and unfair on affected homeowners.”