The famous Glenmalure Zig Zag walk in Wicklow has been shut to the public following an alleged assault on the landowner by a dog walker.
The popular route provides access from the base of Carrawaystick Waterfall towards Lugnaquilla. It is located entirely on private lands, owned by Pat Dunne.
The Zig-Zags were first developed in 2007 as an "Agreed Access Route", facilitated through a formal Permissive Access Agreement between Mr Dunne and County Wicklow Partnership. First developed in 2007, Mr Dunne was one of the first landowners in the country to permit an agreed access route across his lands.
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However, Mr Dunne and his family have decided to shut public access with immediate affect after he was allegedly assaulted by a dog walker. He explained: "I want it known that for the last 16 years we have permitted open access to Lugnaquilla via the Zig Zags.
"The track and open mountain lands immediately above are private property. The only request in return for open access to our land was that NO DOGS were brought onto the mountain due to the disturbance they can cause to livestock. It is not an unreasonable request as we have had many instances of sheep being mauled by dogs on the mountain."
Mr Dunne continued by saying they have had "many instances of verbal abuse with people as they ignored signage asking that dogs were not brought onto our lands", adding that one case even resulted in a threat that our house “would be burnt down”.
"The final straw came on Sunday 19th March at 11.10am when after repeatedly asking a man and a youth accompanying him to not bring their three dogs onto the track, he physically assaulted me, knocking me to the ground, before continuing up the mountain with the dogs," Mr Dunne said.
"It is because of this that we have decided to revoke the permissive access agreement and close the trail to the public with immediate effect."
Aaron Byrne, Rural Recreation Officer with County Wicklow Partnership said that the County Wicklow Partnership "completely support" the Dunne family in their decision. He said: "The success of The Walks Scheme and access routes are evident all over the country and that’s based on cooperation between landowners and recreational users.
"The actions of this particular individual are completely unacceptable. The closure of the trail will come as a huge blow to all the recreational users who benefitted from the goodwill of the Dunne family and enjoyed access to the mountains through their lands."
A garda spokesman told Dublin Live: "Gardai are making enquiries into an alleged assault which occurred at Glenmalure, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow, on Sunday morning, 19th March 2023. No arrests have been made."
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