‘EMBARRASSMENT’ The sign in Murrisk that has raised the ire of Cllr Christy Hyland.
Neill O'Neill
A sign erected by Mayo County Council at the foot of Croagh Patrick telling pilgrims not to drink the water on the mountain has left a local councillor exasperated, given that the supply to homes and businesses in the community is also coming from the mountain.
Despite problems with the drinking water in Murrisk and repeated calls for investment over the decades, the people in the village remain dependent on untreated water from the mountain, with many forced to shell out for expensive treatment infrastructure or to boil their water before use. This prompted Cllr Christy Hyland to say it was an embarrassment at yesterday’s (Monday’s) meeting of the West Mayo Municipal District and ask how is the village ever supposed to develop?
“You cannot seek planning permission without services like water. There are 122,000 people climbing Croagh Patrick annually, a national pilgrimage site, and no water infrastructure in the village, it is a disgrace. The waters scheme from Lough Mask was supposed to extend to Murrisk, Lecanvey and Louisburgh, and now I hear it’s being sent to Willimastown.
“The water in Murrisk is not fit for human consumption we are saying, you wouldn’t see a sign like that in the Burren. The news today on the Greenway from Louisburgh to Murrisk is fantastic, but how are cottage industries supposed to grow without basic services like water being provided?”
Councillor brands Murrisk water situation ‘a disgrace’
