Misinformation Campaign Against Cork-Kinsale Greenway Employs Image of Demolished Hawe Family Home
A proposed greenway connecting Cork to Kinsale has become the target of a misinformation campaign orchestrated by a group known as the “Cork To Kinsale Greenway Residents Association.” The group, staunchly opposed to the project, disseminated misleading information, including the false claim that homes along the proposed route are at risk of demolition. In a particularly disturbing tactic, the group incorporated an image of the demolished home of Alan Hawe, who tragically murdered his wife and three children before taking his own life, into a video opposing the greenway. This exploitative use of a sensitive image has drawn widespread condemnation and underscores the lengths to which the group has gone to manipulate public opinion.
The inclusion of the Hawe family home image was first brought to light by IrishCycle.com, a news website dedicated to covering active travel and sustainable transportation. A reader alerted the website to the image’s origin, confirming it depicted the house demolished following the horrific 2016 murder-suicide. The image was briefly displayed in a video created by the residents’ association, accompanied by a voiceover erroneously asserting that the greenway project would entail the “taking away [of] homes and farmlands.” The video has since been removed by the group, who claim the removal was due to the conclusion of the public consultation period and not in response to the backlash over the image’s inclusion.
The residents’ association has repeatedly claimed that homes are at risk due to Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs), despite the fact that no greenway project in Ireland has ever resorted to such measures. Furthermore, planning regulations and greenway guidelines prioritize minimizing the impact on property owners, making CPOs for greenways highly unlikely. The group’s insistent focus on CPOs appears to be a deliberate attempt to stoke fear and incite opposition to the project. This tactic underscores the lengths to which some opponents will go to obstruct progress on sustainable transport initiatives.
The Cork County Council, the entity responsible for the greenway project, has emphasized that the current consultation phase is non-statutory and designed to gather public feedback. The Emerging Preferred Route Corridor is intentionally broad to allow for adjustments based on community input and to minimize disruption to farms and properties. The council has explicitly stated that they are open to alternative suggestions and committed to finding solutions that address community concerns. Their proactive approach to consultation highlights their commitment to incorporating public feedback into the greenway’s design.
The “Cork To Kinsale Greenway Residents Association” maintains that it is not opposed to greenways in principle but rather to the potential use of CPOs. However, their actions and statements contradict this claim. The group has consistently disseminated misleading information about the project, employed inflammatory rhetoric, and now exploited a tragedy for their campaign. This pattern of behavior suggests a deeper opposition to the greenway itself, masked by concerns about CPOs.
The misuse of the Hawe family home image highlights the dangers of misinformation campaigns and the importance of critical media literacy. The residents’ association’s willingness to exploit a tragedy to further their agenda underscores the need for careful scrutiny of information presented by groups opposing public projects. While community concerns should be addressed, misinformation campaigns based on fear-mongering and emotional manipulation should be recognized and refuted with factual information. The Cork-Kinsale Greenway project holds significant potential for the region, offering environmental, economic, and recreational benefits. It is crucial that this potential not be derailed by a campaign of misinformation. The council’s continued efforts to engage with the community and provide accurate information about the project are essential to ensuring a fair and transparent planning process.