A ‘festival of resistance’ is set to be held on the shores of Lough Neagh next month amid fresh environmental concerns.
Recent warm and settled weather has seen a return of the potentially toxic blue green-algae around the lough’s environmentally rich shoreline.
Hundreds of activists, community campaigners and others from across Ireland are expected to gather on the shoreline at Ardboe, Co Tyrone, for the five-day festival “in support of local grassroots campaigns working to save the lake from ecological disaster”.
The climate camp will also highlight concerns about goldmining in the Sperrin Mountains, which is opposed by many locals.
Dr Laura Kehoe, an environmental scientist and a member of Slí Eile, said: “The ecological disaster at Ireland’s biggest lake demonstrates what happens when the economic growth of agriculture is prioritised over environmental protection.
“We need to support farmers while recognising we simply cannot continue with the extreme destruction of business as usual.”
The festival programme revolves around “head, heart and hands”, with a discussion hosted by the Save Lough Neagh group.
Among the event highlights storyteller and Traveller activist Oein DeBhairduin will mark the Celtic festival of Lúnasa with a workshop on Traveller traditions and connecting to the land through storytelling, song and poetry.
Other workshop topics range from data centres and fossil fuel expansion to local crafts such as eel-skin tanning and a counter-mapping session with the Save Our Sperrins anti-mining group.
The Festival of Resistance will take place in Ardboe from August 7-11.
