A Profile of Vincent Salafia in Village Magazine

national | environment | other press

Saturday March 13, 2010 13:49

by Storyliner

Story on V Salafia and campaigns he has been involved in

A critical profile of Vincent Salafia - Ruadhán Mac Eoin and Michael Smith

Vincent Salafia - coming to a campaign near you

This is worth a read - some quotes from the article
'Salafia has a history of falling out with campaigns over the years leading to serious questions about his suitability to front another campaign. In 2004 Phoenix Magazine commented that he, "seems to foment trouble in his own camp wherever he get involved". It also noted that in 2003, "Salafia was accused by then An Taisce press spokesman, Ruadhán Mac Eoin (one of the co-authors of this piece), of censoring An Taisce press releases from the carrickminescastle.org discussion forum, of which Salafia was the moderator". Salafia was also accused of subverting the attempted alliance called the Friends of Carrickmines.'

It continues:
'How then does this heritage hero get so mired in bitterness and fractiousness, having apparently split or been ejected from four high-profile environmental campaigns - 'Carrickminders', Save tara Skryne Valley', 'Campaign to Save tara', and most recently, 'Shell 2 Sea'?'

His own defence?
'the thing is, in every single campaign in Ireland, there are always disputes: that's just the nature of campaigns. It was the nature of the revolution in this country".'

The article outlines his protesting career, questions his qualifications as a lawyer, his involving high-profile people to campaigns, his virulent on-line attacks on the Campaign to Save tara members and his ejection from a Shell to Sea meeting.
His defence again?
"again this whole thing is being individualized to take a personal swipe at me rather than to address the bigger issues".
Buy the magazine and see the rest for yourselves, link to the Phoenix Magazine article below.

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Comments (2 of 2)

Not online

by Annoying

Sun Mar 14, 2010 13:57

What a pity that this magazine is not on-line. You will have to buy a physical copy of the article

Ruadhán McEoin and Michael Smith

by john - none

Mon Mar 15, 2010 18:29

I am aware of the fact that the authors of the article have some history with the subject of their "journalistic" expose.

It is a pity that they neglected to outline that fact in their article.

Again I am saddened to see people who are actually on the same side (they say) in regard to the outcome of the Newgrange issue, beginning their campaign to save Newgrange by attempt to scupper the only viable campaign that exists at present which wants the road near Newgrange stopped, that is as far as I know it is the only one.

I am glad that the person who posted the article above is well versed in Irish enough to add the fada to the "a" in Ruadhán. :)

Michael Smith is veering towards a Bruce Arnold level of journalistic impartiality in his efforts to smear Salafia.
I would ask both he an Ruadhán to outline how their work with An Taisce has helped save National Monuments in the last decade.

having been on the sidelines of both the Carrickmines campaign and the Tara campaign I can predict that the efforts of The Village in this matter will hasten the arrival of the bulldozers.

If Newgragne is to be saved then all involved will have to put their egos, bruised and otherwise into second place.

The article led me to assume that Smith and McEoin, in light of their history with the subject of the article, are unhappy that they did not think of starting a Newgrange campaign and now are trying to wrong foot the one that exists.

the authors might ponder the words of Iggy Pop..Oh baby what a place3 to be
in the service of the bourgeoisie"

Of course as they are both rather bourgeois should we be surprised?

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A Profile of Vincent Salafia in Village Magazine

Comments (2 of 2)