The owner of one the city’s last remaining farms has slammed Derry City Council for endeavouring to force him off the land his family has lived on for the past 40years. 

By Alan Healy

Alanderrynews.net 

Pat McCloskey, who was raised at Boom Hall estate like his father before him, vented his anger that after council are now gearing up to oust him from the site and close down his farm.

The Derry News reported on Thursday how council are prepared to take legal action against the individuals ‘illegally’ occupying the land at Boom Hall if they do no vacate immediately.

However, Mr McCloskey hit back that far from being on the land illegally, he’s perfectly within his rights to be at the historic estate.

“My late father Willie started on this land forty years ago and once the owners passed on it was bought up by a Mrs McCann, who then sold it to Derry City Council around twelve years ago,” he said.

“Now at that time the previous lease agreement we had was switched over and I’ve always paid my rent and ensured the land every year.

“I’ve never had any bother with council – up until two weeks ago, when council officers arrived at the estate, and said ‘we have bad news for you’, then told me that council want me off the land.

“But I’ve paid right up to November, I’ve got the documentation to prove that so as far as I can see I should be allowed to stay here at least until then.” 

Dread 

Mr McCloskey added that the closure of the farm would be a great loss to the northwest given the hundreds of children who visit the farm every year – and warned that the land would become a hive for anti social behaviour.

“Children from all over Derry have been coming here for years, every where from the Bogside to Limavady,” he continued.

“They give a hand with the large animals, feed the ducks and hens and brush the ponies.

“There’s no money in it but we’ve been doing this for years.