“I was beaten with a baseball bat with nails on it, in the dark, at 4am; [deciding whether to protest at a frack site] is a big challenge for parents and a big decision to make.” That was one message given to over 100 people who attended a Ban Fracking Fermanagh meeting in the Railway Hotel today (Saturday), from Tara Canon from Bundoran, who protested for two years against a motorway going through The Hill of Tara in County Meath.

The purpose of the meeting was to organise a specific plan of action to stop fracking being carried out in Fermanagh.

With the prospect of fracking company Tamboran Resources arriving in Fermanagh to drill test boreholes in the coming weeks, Ban Fracking Fermanagh voiced their determination to actively protest against the prospect.

Anti-fracking activists from County Leitrim and Meath joined the locals to discuss a way forward.

Sinn Fein MLA Phil Flanagan attended the meeting saying: “I’m backing you to the hilt.” He was roundly criticised for not doing enough to halt fracking. He pointed out that he is currently in the process of drafting a piece of legislation aimed at blocking fracking; looking at a local referendum in the Council and contacting the majority of land owners in the licence area asking them to sign a petition saying that they would not allow fracking on their land.

Mum-of-five, Marilyn Trimble from Tamlaght challenged Mr. Flanagan on why a Public Enquiry hadn’t been called on fracking, particularly its health implications on children. He asked for a show of hands as to who would want to see a Public Enquiry – the majority raised their hands at which Mr. Flanagan said: “The people in this room have mandated me to get a Public Enquiry into fracking, so I will try to get one.” See next Thursday’s Impartial Reporter for all the latest as the fracking controversy intensifies.