Blowing up of Belleek sluice gates advocated (1925)
At a meeting of the Lough Erne Drainage Board during this week in 1925, Mr John Burns proposed a resolution seeking the co-operation of the Free State government in the proposal to reduce the statutory level of Lough Erne.
The Lough Erne drainage system is in both Northern Ireland and the Free State, and Mr Burns said that if they went to Dublin “they would get what they wanted”.
“The farmers are paying for a drainage system, but some of them on upper Lough Erne have had their whole crops washed away.
“If we were living in another part of the country, the sluice gates at Belleek would be blown up.”
He added: “We will never get any benefit except by breaking the law.”
He said that he was “a middling law abiding citizen”, but he would not hesitate to tell people to blow up the sluice gates.
He said: “Even the clergy advocate opposition to the law to gain our point. The level of the lake should be reduced, and if we have that, I believe we will succeed in doing away with all flooding.”
The chairman (Mr H A Burke, DL) said they could lower the lake six feet by opening the gates, and four feet would not hurt navigation, but they were bound to supply the Belleek Pottery with water.
He added: “We should see if we cannot buy out the pottery rights.”
Mr Joseph Clegg said that they had “no navigation on Lough Erne and wanted none”.
The resolution was passed.
Another difficulty arose over the insurance of the drainage official at Belleek who, it was stated, was employed part of the day in the Free State, “and lived there”.
It was reported: “One-half of the sluice gates are in the Free State. His insurance cards have been stamped under the Northern insurance and the Free State people wrote claiming that his insurance should be paid to them.”
No action was taken pending the reference of the matter to the Northern Ministry of Labour.
It was also reported that, in reply to a telegram, the secretary had furnished Mr Elliott, JP, Belleek, with the valuation of the board's property in Clyhore townland, Belleek (“in the Free State) with a view of giving evidence before the Boundary Commission, urging that the property be included in Northern Ireland.