Dispute in Oughterard, County Galway where there are plans to turn the Willis Estate into a golf course.
Oughterard in County Galway has seen a two year dispute over a plan by four local businesspeople to build an 18 hole golf course on a 170 acre Willis Estate outside the Loch Corrib trout and salmon fishing village. The land for the golf course was purchased from Lily Willis for a reputed £10,000. She still lives in a house on the estate.
It's estimated that the new golf course would cost about £50,000 -£60,000.
Work had begun on the site when two of the machines owned by earthmoving contractors Griffiths was set on fire, causing severe damage. One of the firm's excavators, worth over £11,000, was damaged by explosives and another machine, worth over £30,000, was damaged by fire while parked on construction sites around Galway city. The firm stopped work.
The sabotage has been blamed on an illegal organisation outside Oughterard.
An outbuilding on the Willis Estate was burned out, and one of the businessmen who bought the land received a letter containing a bullet. An unexploded bomb was found behind the Lake Hotel.
The local Land League want the 130 arable acres divided among 12-20 farmers in the area. Land League spokesperson Michael Dixon thinks the matter could be settled if all parties would sit down and come to a solution. This opinion is echoed by the local clergy who want the two sides to settle their differences amicably.
Some meetings have already taken place, but without much success. At present, the position is one of complete deadlock.
The Land League has put forward an alternative site of non-agricultural land for the golf course. This would allow the Willis land to be divided among the small farmers.
Frank Kyne, an investor and spokesman for the golf course consortium, does not think the alternative site is a good investment. The land is unsuitable, as it is bog, plus the site is not large enough.
It would be too expensive, and the type of money needed could not be got locally.
He points out that the land was bought legally, and most people in Oughterard back the golf course development on the Willis Estate.
There are now 45-50 shareholders, and even some small farmers are shareholders.
Feelings among the minority who oppose the golf course are running high. The situation is further complicated by the involvement of people from outside Oughterard. Ultimately, the row will only be solved by the townspeople themselves.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 9 May 1971. The reporter is Ronnie Turner.
