#No.33 Pat and Nuala: Living 5 Miles from Europe’s Largest Aluminium Plant

In this episode, I speak with Pat  and Nuala Gheoghegan, who share the story of their lives, their farm, and their community. They talk about what it meant to live just five miles from the Aughinish Alumina Refinery, and how its presence shaped everyday life over many years. The conversation moves through memory, place, and experience, and was recorded in more than one setting, with others present at moments. Those sounds and interruptions remain part of the episode. It is longer than usual, and I chose to let it run as one piece, allowing the story to unfold in its own time. What Pat and Nuala share is carried with great care and honesty. The effects they speak of are still present in their lives today, and this episode holds that with respect. #dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining  #EnvironmentPodcast #JusticePodcast #ActivismPodcast #IrishPodcast #HumanRights   📣 Share, review, and help amplify our story -Have a listen, and if you have time  hit the  follow button  5 stars and a review on the podcast app , and please share if you can. it really makes a difference to the algorithm    LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW  https://youtu.be/DxTt3G5G7y0?si=R7dR1JohSyEAyjUf  Links to The Aughinish Incident is a hard-hitting investigative documentary uncovering the hidden risks, missing oversight, and decades of unanswered questions surrounding Aughinish Island. https://buttonsoptions4u.podbean.com/e/dr-steven-h-emerman-%e2%80%93-the-science-of-failure-truth-risk-and-responsibility/ If you are interested in this conversation you might like to learn more about  tailings dumps by listening  to episode 23, a conversation with Dr Steven H. Emerman, The Science of Failure: Truth, Risk, and Responsibility. In that episode, Steven speaks in detail about mine tailings dams and slag heaps, and about the long-term risks they carry for people and places.   SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media)  https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins   https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins   LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES  http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/ Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction. https://yestolifenotomining.org/ The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169 Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block. This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this   LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine )     https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about   https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc