Protesters opposed to the road-widening scheme at the Glen of the Downs have been involved in frantic last-minute efforts to prevent the scheme going ahead.
The protesters recently lost their Supreme Court challenge to the roadworks, and on Tuesday Wicklow County Council moved plant and machinery on to the site. Work was halted when some protesters climbed trees which were about to be cut down.
As gardai arrived yesterday to issue warning notices to people camped in trees, some protesters were returning to the High Court seeking a fresh legal avenue to halt the tree felling which has twice been halted. While the High Court rejected the challenge, they are expected to appear before the Supreme Court again today to challenge yesterday's decision.
The action is being taken in the name of Mr Dermot Murphy, who was also named as an applicant in the unsuccessful High Court and Supreme Court attempts to stop the roadworks. Yesterday Mr Murphy said the atmosphere at the camp was "a bit dejected" after the High Court ruling, but he was more optimistic about today's outcome.
The protesters are basing their case on the fact that the Glen is a Special Area of Conservation, a European designation. Mr Murphy could not say if this indicated they intended to take their case eventually to the European Court.
Mr Murphy said the group was fortunate in that their action had been seen as one of national importance, and so qualified for the Attorney General Scheme, which meant the State financed their case. He could not say if the State would finance their latest appeal.
Environmental groups Earthwatch, Friends of the Earth and VOICE issued a joint statement yesterday saying the Glen campaign was "further evidence of the already inadequate nature preservation laws".
