Mannok hopes to continue quarrying for 20 years

Company has applied to Cavan County Council to continue operations at the site

Mannok has applied for permission to continue quarrying operations at its site in Swanlinbar for another two decades.

The building supplies manufacturer has quarried at the site since the early 2000s when the quarry was opened by the Quinn Group.

In 2003 it was granted permission for a 44.5 hectare limestone quarry, as well as a 10.9km road linking the site with the cement works in Ballyconnell.

The company has now applied to Cavan County Council for permission to continue operations at the site, as well as retaining associated ancillary works.

It also hopes to extend its quarrying operations laterally over an area of around four hectares.

In its application Mannok says this is in order to reach the full extent of quarrying previously permitted.

It also hopes for a vertical extension resulting in a maximum quarry floor depth of 25mAOD - meaning it would quarry a further 20 metres into the ground.

The original planning permission granted quarrying to 45mAOD, or to a level 45 metres above sea level.

In the application Mannok says the quarry will be turned into a “waterbody and biodiverse habitats” once the extraction of rock is completed at the site.

An Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Natura Impact Statements have been submitted as part of the application.

A decision is expected from Cavan County Council by mid November. The site has been at the centre of a number of incidents since Seán Quinn lost control of the company following the financial crash.

Machinery and vehicles used at the site were damaged or vandalised on a number of occasions.

Seán Quinn has repeatedly distanced himself from those responsible and called for calm.