OFFROADING OUTLAWED!!!

[Dermott]

To all;
I am in a state of shock!!! and I am too slow at typeing to do tell all details. Briefly, Dakar gal, BB1 and I were out for a short spin yesterday evening, and we were met by a friendly landowner, who, showed us a letter he had from the dept of enviroment a few days previously, saying that the use of motorbikes, quads bmx and pony treking is banned from the wicklow uplands. I was absolutly gobsmacked.
Does anybody know about this? what can be done?
Dermott

 

[Jockser]

'Kin 'ell, that could be serious

Any idea if it was a general letter sent out to local landowners or was it in response to a question raised by said friendly landowner ? And was it the actual uplands ie across the gorse or everything including tracks ? I would have thought that the tracks like the one above Donard, ie non-forestry tracks, were right-of-ways (but that could just be wishful thinking )

I've been wading my way through the Dept. of Environment & Nat. Parks websites to try & find anything that mentions motorbikes but no luck so far. I'll keep looking

Does anyone know if we have anything like the TRF here

 

[Dermott]

Hi Jockser,
The landowner is well known in the bikeing world, I won't mention his name yet without his premission, he owns 2,500 acres of mountain, and the letter was unprompted by him, I believe he is going to have a meeting with the department tomorrow. I think the change has been promoted by "walkers".
Maybe Dakar gal or BB1 can remember more of the details.
I will be in contact with him again.
D

 

[Jockser]

The landowner is well known in the bikeing world

Think I know who you mean

Let's know how he gets on

 

[GerryC]

what can be done?
Dermott

Move to Kerry

 

[Dakar Gal]

I have also been wading through Dept of Environment websites, the Irish Statute, and the National Parks websites. Havent come up with anything yet.

The letter was sent on Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Government headed paper. Didnt get to read it but above mentioned landowner quoted some bits which went along the lines of "due to some complaints from walkers"...."users of Quads and motorcycles are prohibited from use on your [landowners] land"...."dept of environment will be policing.."

Along with the letter were three sheets detailing prohibited practices on different land types including Upland bog, blanket bog, inland cliffs, scree etc. They looked like extracts from some article or legal act, and reffered to different years of publication. (1992? 1979? and 2005?)

The poor man was incensed that he wasnt even allowed to use his own bike on his own land!

Im not entirely sure from what angle the ban was being exercised. Was it from an environmental protection angle (in which case sticking to trails "should" be considered ok) or from an annoyance to the walkers perspective.

It would be interesting to get photocopies of the letter, which apparently has been sent to other landowners also.

Being new to this sport and just itching to get more of it, Im not very knowledgeable as to what is legal up to now, but this would seem to be closing down the sport even more. I can imagine most landowners would be only too delighted enforce this.

The Minaun challenge is also over upland blanket bog

 

[Corkonian]

I don't think it's even possible for them to do that - legally

I do a fair bit of hunting with hounds, terriers, lurchers etc. and the anti's have been trying for years to get those kind of 'orders' issued.

I've had dealings with the Dept of Environment for various licenses - and I'd recommend giving them a ring - anyone I've dealt with there have been extremely professional and helpful.

 

[w00kie]

I can't find much on the web unless the land in question is part of the wicklow national park (boundary map here). They don't mention bikes directly but there's a section on 'OFF-ROAD MOTORING' which says:

Off-road motoring, other than motorbike trials which have received a permit, is not allowed in the Park. Motorbike trial clubs must fulfil all the conditions of the permit in order to minimise the impact of these events. Permitted motorbike trial events have taken place at Old Boleys and near the mines at Glendasan.

Are there any new signs up? How are we supposed to know about new regulations unless they publish them? What's the point of sending them to local landowners?

I can't imagine there were that many complaints. We're generally courteous to walkers.

 

[AR14]

'We're generally courteous to walkers.'


I'm Not.
I can't stand them, with their self righteous claim to any land they happen to want to walk up an down.
Never trust anyone with their trousers tucked into their socks that carries a stick and some sandwiches.....

 

[squid]

I recall looking into doing a mountainbike break in Ireland.

I was gutted to find it is banned in most places - apparently the Euro fund was willing to put in loads of cash like they have for Scotland but they were told where to stick it.

Shame

 

[GerryC]

'We're generally courteous to walkers.'
I'm Not.
I can't stand them, with their self righteous claim to any land they happen to want to walk up an down.
Never trust anyone with their trousers tucked into their socks that carries a stick and some sandwiches.....

Ahem; I,m a keen walker. However I do take your point some of them can be a tad self righteous.

I'm a motorcyclist too and guess what ....

Ah your possibly ahead of me here....
They can be a little self righteous also.
Some of them are given to sweeping generalisations....

A prelude to self righteousness

 

[nud1e]

Read this and be afraid

http://www.wicklownationalpark.ie/downloads/wmnp_plan_english_version.pdf

excerpt
"4.8.8 Motorcross, Motorbike Scrambling and other Off-Road Driving: 5 Year Targets
 Continue to monitor and deter un-authorised use of vehicles – on-going
Continue to monitor the erosion, noise and other impacts of permitted events & respond as necessary – on-going"

 

[Dermott]

Hi nud1e,
I had a bit of a read of that document last night, and it does seem to be the source of the changes, trials bikes might get some excemptions, I wonder if that could include trail bikes. I am still querieing metaled roads/used trails/bog acess roads.
Good research, thanks
Dermott

 

[P.J.]

TRIBULATIONS . .

. . trials bikes are not road registered and compete in organised events for which due permission has been obtained. For those of you who like to hack about in mud & rocks, you might consider trials eventing & downsize to a Montesa 250 or similar . .

 

[carsqhere]

FYI: Louth County Council has banned quads, 4x4's, bikes, etc. from using large tracts of land up around Carlingford/Ravensdale. Been that way for well over a year now. There are signs up on some of the lesser roads to this effect. I have a photo of one somewhere which I took because it mentioned a particular bye-law which I'd meant to look into. I'll see if I can dig it out.

Somehow, I suspect the hill walkers will know all about these bye-laws

 

[carsqhere]

Well, I couldn't find the pic of the sign, so there was nothing for it but to kit up & head up the road. Here's a photo of the sign.

 

[carsqhere]

My trusty old Bandit is not an off road vehicle, so on the assumption the bye-laws don't apply I kept going until I ran out of road, and then went just a little further. I met a couple of quad bikers whose interpretation of the bye-laws was obviously somewhat looser than mine, but the Bandit being a road bike, I decided to leave the rocky bits to them, and plotted up for a photo.

If this were a photo of my late GS, which was - technically - an off-road vehicle, I'd have committed some minor crime apparently. Civil disobedience anyone?

 

[GerryC]

Barley lake near Glengariff today. Somewhere I have a shot from the beach in Strandhill [Sligo] of a sign that said "no motorcyclists"; I was in the car that day. It got me right confused.

 

[Dermott]

Brief update

Had a brief chat with the previously mentoned landowner today, this action is being pushed by the EU, with the threat of a fine of 4 million a day if the dept of env. don't get their plans in order. Landowner is still trying to get trials excempt, citing the fact that D&DMCC have been using the area for 100 years (yes, true, but maybe only the road to Lacken in the early years).
D

 

[[email protected]]

To all;
I am in a state of shock!!! and I am too slow at typeing to do tell all details. Briefly, Dakar gal, BB1 and I were out for a short spin yesterday evening, and we were met by a friendly landowner, who, showed us a letter he had from the dept of enviroment a few days previously, saying that the use of motorbikes, quads bmx and pony treking is banned from the wicklow uplands. I was absolutly gobsmacked.
Does anybody know about this? what can be done?
Dermott

Lads, am sorry to hear that for you guys....
it looks like the EU standards coming over to you guys...
in Germany we have to live with these since ages...think its nealry everywhere all over main europe.
keep my fingers crossed for you guys !